Romania’s top court validated the outcome of a key presidential vote, approving the candidacy of a pro-Russian candidate for a runoff with high geopolitical stakes for the nation on NATO’s eastern flank.

Romania's political future looked uncertain Monday after legislative elections produced a fragmented parliament, with the far right making big gains a week before the second round of a presidential election in which a pro-Russian candidate is in pole position.

A top Romanian court has validated the first round of a presidential race in which a far-right outsider emerged as the frontrunner, plunging the country into a week of turmoil amid allegations of elec