Romania's far-right presidential frontrunner said on Wednesday he will bar continued Ukrainian grain exports through Romania and further military aid to Kyiv if elected, and that Bucharest is not obliged to stick to NATO's defence spending commitments.

Sitting at his desk in an isolated compound north of Bucharest, presidential front-runner and far-right populist Calin Georgescu says Romania’s Western alliances remain secure providing they “serve the sovereignty of the country and nothing else.

Specialized software analysis shows that controversial social media posts, which promoted far-right frontrunner Calin Georgescu, were shared by pro-Russia accounts and amplified by bots.

Romania's far-right presidential frontrunner said on Wednesday he will oppose continued Ukrainian grain exports through Romania and further military aid to Kyiv if elected, and that Bucharest is not obliged to stick to NATO's defence spending commitments.

Responsibility for the rise of the far right lies primarily with nominally “left” forces, who have adapted to nationalism and supported NATO’s war with Russia in Ukraine.

The pro-Russian nationalist candidate Calin Georgescu had racked up a definitive 350,000 vote lead in an upset in Romania's presidential election as counting in the first round wound to a finish Monday.