Hey all, Peter Zeihan here. Coming to you from my house. I’m about ready to jump in the car and head to the airport, but quick news update. A few months ago there were presidential elections in Romania. They did in two rounds. And the guy who came in first place? Guy by the name of Călin Georgescu.
It was a nobody. I’ve been in a couple of minor roles in government. The 1990s really hasn’t done anything with his life since. Except for kind of shifted to the hard right, Nazi salutes and everything. Anyway, Romanian authorities, were able to easily prove Russian intervention in the election.
Both funding for, rescue specifically. So he’s under criminal investigation right now. As well as, my just a huge social media presence that the Russians have fabricated with as many, fake followers as there are citizens in Romania. So it was it was really beyond the pale. The Russians wanted to see how far they could go.
Anyway, the first round election was annulled. Repeat elections are going to be held in May. And the news overnight is that George Eskew, has been barred from even running, because of the investigation, because of the Russian influence. Now, this, matters for two reasons. First of all, the U.S government now, both Tulsi Gabbard, who is the director of National intelligence, who has been working with and for the Russians for the better part of a decade, and JD Vance, the vice president, have both come out publicly and said that what the Romanians are doing to withdraw George Eskew is part of the reason why Europe is now a bigger threat to the United States than, the Russians are, which is, you know, propaganda of which the Russians are just gleeful to have people at the top of the American system saying that. And now that you’re just you want to be able to loud to run, you should expect, those statements of the United States to get much, much firmer.
Two things. Their number one, I can’t speak to JD Vance. That investigation is still in progress, but, Tulsi Gabbard, she’s in the process of going through all the Intel, the strictures, and basically purging anyone who knows anything about counter Russian operations, specifically about her. So that’s a problem. Second, it appears that elements within the administration are looking for a minor ally, like, say, Romania, because they’re in NATO.
To have a formal breach of relations with in order to basically justify some of their policies and especially, set the stage for a full NATO withdrawal, by the United States. And this is shaping up to be the perfect test case for that. So the Romanians are doing what they need to to protect their system. Decision makers within the American government are very clearly working hand in glove with the Russians on this, and things are going to get a lot worse before they even pretend to tilt towards getting better.