Bucharest responds sharply to Putin after Russia accuses Bulgaria and Romania of war in Ukraine

The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted, through a statement by spokesman Andrei Cernea, to the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who in the documentary about himself stated that Romania and Bulgaria contributed to the tension that led to the war in Ukraine by hosting American bases on their territory, reports European Truth, citing Digi24.

"Romania's accession to NATO represents the sovereign will of the citizens of Romania and allied countries. At the same time, Romania's membership in NATO does not pose a threat to anyone's security. This is concrete and demonstrable. President Putin is using the same familiar narratives that served as a pretext for a brutal annexation war. The only country that threatens regional security in Europe is the Russian Federation through the illegal and unprovoked war, marked by numerous war crimes against the civilian population in Ukraine and compounded by a Russian disinformation campaign and anti-EU and NATO propaganda. Romania will continue to defend its security interests with full sovereignty in its dual capacity as a NATO ally and an EU member state," said Andrei Cernea, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement.

A documentary film titled "Russia. Kremlin. Putin. 25 Years," broadcast by the Russian state television channel "Rossiya-1," features archive footage of the Russian leader stating, in an older speech to world leaders, in which Angela Merkel also appears, that "so-called light forward US bases are appearing in Bulgaria and Romania, one in each country. And we have every right to ask ourselves openly: against whom is this expansion taking place?" The video series continues with Putin's statements in the present, explaining the statements made at the time:

"This is the message I wanted to convey to our partners and colleagues, in the hope that they would listen to us and correct their attitude towards Russia. But, unfortunately, we were not listened to. That is, they heard, but did not react properly. Ultimately, this led to today's tragic events in Ukraine“, said the Russian president.

"Russia. Kremlin. Putin. 25 Years“ is a 90-minute documentary made by Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin, with a series of interviews recorded in the spring of 2025, which presents Vladimir Putin's achievements during his reign, according to the Meduza publication. In the film, Putin defends Russia's annexation of Crimea and justifies a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, attacks "Western values," ponders who might one day replace him, and states that he "hopes" he will never have to use nuclear weapons.

According to Tsarnia, Romania's accession to NATO is the sovereign will of the citizens of Romania and allied countries and "does not pose a threat to anyone's security."