Banned in Ukraine. Who is Simion and how does his victory in Romania threaten Kyiv?

In the first round of the presidential election in Romania on May 4, far-right nationalist and ardent opponent of aid to Ukraine George Simion won.

Until now, Romania has been Ukraine's most reliable western neighbor, reminds LIGA.net Marianna Prysiazhniuc, an analyst at the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation and a PhD student at Bucharest National University.

But if Simion defeats Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan in the second round in two weeks, everything will change dramatically. Romania could then turn from a reliable neighbor into a country led by a political follower of Viktor Orban and Robert Fico.

It seems that this does not bode well for Ukraine. However, there is a politician in Europe who can help Kyiv find a common language with Simion, says LIGA.net Romanian analyst, president of the Expert Forum (Bucharest) Sorin Ionita.

Who is Simion and what does his election as president mean for Ukraine – in brief.