[Shinsuke Nakamura]

Does anyone think that Romania and Russia could go to war in the future as Romania seems much more closely allied to the US.


Could this lead to open conflict? Would Romania push for political union with Moldova; setting off a conflict?

[ThirdTerm]

The majority of the population of Bessarabia was Ukrainians in its northern and southern sections (purple), but it was Romania which seized control of the former Russian territory upon Russia's exit from the First World War. Ethnic Romanians made up a majority in the central section of Bessarabia (yellow). Russia annexed Bessarabia as a result of the Russo-Turkish War and it changed hands again after another war, which was the norm of great-power politics at the time. Romania had entered the war on the side of the Allies to grab Transylvania from Hungary and Bessarabia from Russia and Romania emerged as the greatest winner of territory to come out of the war. But the Soviet Union forced the Romanian troops to evacuate Bessarabia in 1944 as the Red Army occupied Romania.

Despite its historical alliance with the Central Powers, especially Austria-Hungary, Romania had entered World War I on the side of the Allies in August 1916 with the hope of winning Transylvania, then part of Hungary, and expanding its strength in the Balkans. Within six months, however, Austro-German and Bulgarian forces had crushed Romania, effectively overrunning most of the country and ending its participation in the war by early 1917. (It signed a treaty with the Central Powers on May 7, 1918.) With the fall of the Russian empire, however, Romania saw its chance to reestablish its claims over Bessarabia.

For its part, Ukraine saw the end of czarist Russia as an opportunity. Immediately following the overthrow of the czar in February 1917, Ukraine set up a provisional government and proclaimed itself a republic within the structure of a federated Russia. In January 1918, it declared its complete independence. The Ukrainian government immediately sought control of Bessarabia, or at least its northernmost and southernmost sections, where the majority of the population was Ukrainian.

In January 1918, Romania sent troops to Bessarabia; on March 27, after Russia formally exited the war in early March at Brest-Litovsk, it annexed the region. Ukraine’s national council strongly protested, urging self-determination for the Ukrainian population of Bessarabia. Over the next year, however, turmoil and ultimately civil war in Ukraine made taking any decisive action impossible. On November 10, a day before the armistice ending World War I was signed—and with an Allied victory assured—Romania reentered the war, occupying Transylvania.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-hist ... by-romania

[Baff]

Half the country is still run by the Securitat. Mafia boss style.

The population is typically still paranoid about America.
It's the evil conspiracy behind all their woes.

But they like $.