Simplify the following text for a Grade 8 native English-speaking person.
Original: During the Russo-Turkish War Romania fought on the Russian side , and in the 1878 Treaty of Berlin , Romania was recognized as an independent state by the Great Powers .
Simplified: While the Russo-Turkish War was happening , Romania battled on the Russian side . When the Treaty of Berlin of 1878 was signed , the Great Powers made Romania an independent state .