A high-ranking Russian official has informed the Prosecutors General`s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow about actions by Romanian authorities that are deemed hostile towards Russia. Vasily Piskarev, who chairs the State Duma Commission on Investigating Foreign Interference in Russia`s Internal Affairs, made the announcement. His commission, part of Russia`s lower parliamentary chamber, reviewed materials form a forum held in the Romanian parliament titled “Black Sea: The Future Border for a Safe and Stable Europe.“ The forum reportedly included participants linked to an organization that Russia has banned as a terrorist group. Piskarev explained that the documentation was forwarded to the Prosecutor General`s Office for legal evaluation in line with Russian law and diplomatic guidelines.
Piskarev also accused Romanian officials of offering a platform to these groups, allowing them to incite provocation against Russia. According to him, the event featured several appeals to Western nations urging action that could lead to Russia`s military defeat and even its participation into separate states. He further claimed that proposals were made at the forum to “remove Russia from the Black Sea,“ a notion he argues constitutes public incitement to undermine Russia`s territorial integrity.
The forum in question appears to be the 15th Forum of Free Nations of Post-Russia – Black Sea: Future Frontier for a Secure and Stable Europe, held on March 19 at the Palace of Parliament. The group behind the event, which is banned in Russia after being labelled as a terrorist organization by the Moscow Supreme Court in late 2022, promotes a campaign aimed at decolonizing what it calls the Russian Federation. Its website states that its struggle is an anti-colonial, national liberation effort designed to dismantle Kremlin imperialism and establish a peaceful post-Russian order – a key element in a new long-term security framework for Europe and the world.
Russian officials claim that the forum featured representatives of a group that advocates for greater autonomy or even independence for several regions within Russia. Among those present was Oleg Magaletsky, a prominent figure in this movement. In his speech, he praised Romania for resisting Moscow’s influence over its domestic affairs and warned that Russia, which he described as Europe’s last colonizing empire, would attempt to extend its control over Central and Eastern Europe. Magaletsky also stressed the need for a clear strategy to shape a post-Russia space, distinguishing countries like Romania, Bulgaria, and Ukraine as part of Central Europe, while suggesting that traditional Eastern European regions should remain within their historic bounds.
The forum’s discussions covered a range of topics, including the strategic significance of the Black Sea and the Balkan states in a post-Russian order, the region’s economic and energy prospects, and Romania’s critical role in Ukraine’s reconstruction.
The event was organized jointly by the Post-Russia Free Nations Forum, Paneuropa Romania – the self-described oldest movement for European unification – the Faculty of Business Administration with Foreign Language programs (FABIZ – ASE), and the Center for Economy and Society (CES).
Besides Romanian parliamentarians, including Interior Minister Cătălin Predoiu, several senators, and other officials, speakers also included experts from academia, Bulgarian ministers such as Interior Minister Daniel Mitov, and international representatives. Notable attendees also included political analyst Pavel Mezerin, activist Ivan Kulenko, and Ahmed Zakayev, the prime minister of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.
