 Romanian sovereignty over Bessarabia was "de jure" recognized by the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Japan in the "Bessarabian Treaty" signed on October 28, 1920.Soviet Russia and Ukraine promptly notified Romania that they did not recognize the treaty's validity, and did not consider themselves bound by it.Ultimately, Japan failed to ratify the treaty, and thus it never came into force, leaving Romania without a valid international act to justify its possession of Bessarabia.