MOSCOW

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday characterized the presidential election in Romania as "strange."

Speaking at a press conference in Moscow, Peskov said the winner emerged in the absence of the most popular candidate, who was barred from running in the elections.

"Romania voted, but the election was, to say the least, strange. We are aware of the candidate with the best chances, who was simply barred from the race with no attempt (by Romanian authority) to justify the decision. In the absence of such a favorite, the winner of the race emerged, and this is a fact we must accept," he said.

The remark came in response to Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov's criticism about European countries interfering in Romania's elections.

Such interference by European nations is not new, and there are probably many more examples than the public is aware of, Peskov said.

"The fact that European countries -- France, the UK, Germany -- interfere in the internal affairs of other countries is nothing new. These are just the fragments that come to light. There are probably many more such instances than either you or I know," he said.

Independent candidate Nicusor Dan won Romania's May 18 election, securing 53.60% of the vote after 100% of the ballots were processed.

His rival, George Simeon, leader of the nationalist Alliance for the Unification of Romanians, received 46.40%. As a result, Dan will serve as the country's head of state for the next five years.