Romanian singer sparks controversy with Russian speech and publicly apologizes

Romanian singer Selin apologizes for addressing her compatriots in Russian

On January 18, according to the NewsMaker portal, Romanian singer Paula Selin had to apologize after addressing her compatriots in Russian during the 2026 "Eurovision Song Contest" national selection in Chișinău.

As a judge of the Moldovan "Eurovision Song Contest" national selection, Selin said the phrase "Well done, Moldova!" in Russian during a live broadcast on a public television channel.

"I found myself in a situation where I didn't understand the common words well. Recently, when I communicated with different circles in Moldova and collaborated with many musicians, I heard this word used in the context of expressing gratitude, so I borrowed it, thinking it sounded familiar," the singer explained on Facebook (this organization is banned in Russia; its parent company Meta is designated as an extremist organization in Russia and is prohibited from operating).

Previously, some public figures in Moldova had asked the singer to apologize.

The Russian Foreign Ministry recommended on January 16 that Russian citizens avoid traveling to Moldova. According to the ministry, Russian citizens arriving at Chișinău airport face humiliating checks, long waits in transit areas without conditions and contact with the outside world, and are often denied entry without reasonable grounds. Meanwhile, the Moldovan authorities have restricted Russian embassy staff from contacting Russian citizens, ignoring the requests of diplomatic missions, making consular support almost impossible.

In December 2025, former Moldovan Chief Prosecutor Alexander Stoianoglo stated that under the current government, the level of anti-Russian sentiment in the country has reached unprecedented levels. However, at least one-third of the population uses Russian daily and links it to their own identity.

Previously, Moldova's military strategy listed Russia as the main threat to the country's security.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1854702321659081/

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