A leader of the far-right Romanian party S.O.S. Romania Diana Iovanovici-Șoșoacă stated she would "break the legs" of Ukrainian President Zelenskyy if he attempts to speak in Romania's parliament, according to her post on Facebook following a visit to Moscow.
Șoșoacă traveled to the Russian capital at the invitation of the International Association "Friends of Russia," headed by propagandist Pietro Stramezzi, where she joined an open meeting of the organization with young attendees on 19 October.
During her speech, she discussed events surrounding Zelenskyy's visit to the Romanian Parliament in October 2023 and claimed she managed to stop that visit.
"If he [Zelenskyy] dares to come to my Parliament, I'll break his legs! Let him not dare to give a speech in my parliament," Șoșoacă stated.
She justified her position by referencing the Romanian Constitution, stating that parliamentarians are the only representatives of Romanian sovereignty and claiming she is obligated to defend the country's independence and react to "enemies of my people."
Claims Ukraine persecutes Romanian minority
Șoșoacă also raised claims about the Romanian minority in Ukraine. According to her statements at the meeting, over one million Romanians live in Ukraine who are allegedly not allowed to speak Romanian or pray, with Orthodoxy being forbidden to them.
However, these claims are not supported by evidence. Moreover, before Russia's full-scale invasion, more than 150,000 ethnic Romanians lived in Ukraine, significantly fewer than the figure she cited.
The meeting reportedly concluded with applause from participants who appreciated her speech.
Has history of pro-Russian positions
Șoșoacă has faced repeated criticism for ties with Moscow. In summer 2024, during her first speech in the European Parliament, she accused the EU of ruining Romania through aid to Ukraine and called for ending weapons supplies to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Radio Liberty Ukraine reported that in 2023, Zelenskyy's planned speech in the Romanian Parliament was canceled due to deputies with pro-Russian sympathies. G4Media quoted Șoșoacă calling the Ukrainian president a "Nazi" at that time.
She appeared in parliament on the day of his planned visit carrying a map of Greater Romania, which is the idea of maximum expansion of Romania's borders. It would include territories of Bukovyna and Bessarabia, which are now part of Ukraine.
Ukraine bans her from entering after Putin letter
In 2025, the S.O.S. Romania leader wrote a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin which she described as a "message of peace," writing about returning territories that Ukraine allegedly holds illegally.
Following this, the Security Service of Ukraine banned Șoșoacă from entering Ukraine for three years in March 2025.
