Călin Georgescu also spoke at the BBC about how he will put an end to any aid for Ukraine if elected.
Călin Georgescu, the extremist-nationalist politician leading the presidential race in Romania, gave an interview to BBC.
He will face Elena Lasconi in the second round of elections on Sunday, a former TV presenter campaigning strongly pro-EU, as reported.
Georgescu, who campaigns only on social media, stated that he will make the "Romanian people" his priority.
However, he denied that his surprising success so far is the result of a Russian-backed influence operation, stating that he "does not care about the 'lies' of the intelligence services in his country, as he works with God and the people."
On Wednesday, in a very rare move, the outgoing president of Romania declassified documents detailing a massive and "extremely organized" campaign for Georgescu on TikTok, coordinated by a "state actor."
The documents include an assessment by the services stating that Russia is conducting hybrid attacks on Romania, viewing it as an "enemy state."
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The Constitutional Court is now overwhelmed with requests to analyze accusations of interference, with the possibility of canceling the elections.
Prosecutors have announced that they have opened a criminal investigation, but there is no estimate of when it might be completed.
"They are afraid," Georgescu dismissed evidence that hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent promoting campaign content for him, violating both Romanian electoral law and TikTok rules.
He denied being "Moscow's man," mockingly referring to the "non-intelligence agencies" in Romania.
"They cannot accept that the Romanian people have finally said: we want our life, our country, our dignity back," he stated, characterizing himself as fighting against the unyielding system.
In an interview where he was occasionally irritable, praising Donald Trump and Hungarian populist leader Viktor Orban, Georgescu referred to Vladimir Putin as a "patriot and a leader." He then added: "But I am not a fan."
However, when asked about Russia's war against Ukraine," he first asked: "Are you sure about that?", seemingly denying the existence of the war itself.
Later, he specified that Romania is only interested in achieving peace at its border, but refused to say whether this should happen under the conditions set by Kiev.
Asked if he agrees with supporting Ukraine "as long as necessary," as the EU claims, Georgescu stated: "No." He said that things would change.
"I only agree that I must take care of my people. I do not want to involve my people," he replied, detailing that Romania - a member of the EU and NATO - would no longer provide military or political support to its neighbor.
"Zero. Everything stops. I must only take care of my people. We have many problems of our own," he asserted.
This would be a drastic change in attitude for Bucharest and one that would sound excellent to Russian ears.
In Romania, the president has considerable power, including influence in areas such as foreign policy. He is also the supreme commander of the armed forces and appoints the prime minister.
Romania shares a long border with Ukraine and has been a loyal supporter of Kiev since the large-scale invasion in 2022.
It has provided a Patriot missile defense system, as well as financial support. It has also become a key route for the export of Ukrainian cereals, after Russian bombardments affected operations in the ports there.
With Georgescu as president, Romania would join Hungary and Slovakia as sympathizers of Russia on the eastern flank of NATO.
It would be a serious blow to EU solidarity for Ukraine, just as it faces the prospect of assuming more responsibilities to help Kiev, now that Donald Trump is returning to the White House.
Georgescu emphasized that he will keep Romania in the EU and NATO, but that from now on everything will be "negotiated" and focused on the country's interests.
He refused to say that Vladimir Putin's Russia is a security threat to the West.
His support for conspiracy theories has also raised concerns, with him denying the existence of the Covid pandemic and questioning whether anyone has ever been to the Moon.
Romania hosts a huge NATO military base, near the Black Sea, as well as an American ballistic missile defense facility.
Georgescu now describes himself as a university professor, but he previously worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with the UN.
He clearly has supporters - his message of living healthy, with Romania first, resonates with the public, especially outside Bucharest. However, many in the capital are worried about the direction the country could take.
When asked if he understands why they are scared, Georgescu shook his head: "It's just propaganda."
Thursday evening, several thousand protesters gathered in downtown Bucharest to demand that Romania remain allied with Europe, many waving the blue flag of the EU.
Others brought the Romanian flag with a circular hole in the middle, a reminder of how, after the 1989 Revolution, people cut out communist symbols.
Discussions about Russian influence - Moscow meddling in any form - are an emotional subject for many. Several people chanted "Freedom!" and "Europe!"
A man told the BBC that he and his friends stood with protesters on the streets of Bucharest 35 years ago and could not bear the thought of Romania returning to the past.
A woman, Anca, said she saw the "long arm of Russia" in the presidential elections and came to the rally to show that she believes her country's future should be in Europe.