The president of Moldova Maia Sandu has warned that the independence of her country and European future were in danger after the police had arrested dozens of people who are accused of involvement in a conspiracy to burn a violent disorder, reportedly supported by Russia.
Only a few days before Sunday’s crucial parliamentary elections, the police of Moldova said they had seized weapons and explosives in the entire country.
They claim that some of the 74 prisoners had traveled to Serbia for training by Russian instructors, including with firearms.
President Sandu appealed to the nation and accused the Kremlin of “Hundreds of Millions of euros” in Moldova in Moldova to make violence and spread disinformation and fear.
“The Kremlin believes that we are all for sale. That we are too small to resist. That we are not a country, only a territory,” the president said, pointing to Russian involvement at the highest level.
“But Moldova is our home. And our house is not for sale.”
Pro -Russian parties have accused Sandu of intimidating them – and influencing the mood.
Sandu also called on supporters to come out and cast their vote on Sunday in an election in which pro-Russian troops will shake the pro-EU status quo. The majority of Sandu’s own action party and solidarity, pass, in danger.
For her, a high turnout – especially under the diaspora – is the key.
Moldova declared its independence because the USSR fell apart more than 30 years ago, but it has an important Russian -speaking population. The separated region of Transnistria, propulsed by Moscow, is still the home of a contingent of Russian troops.
For years, the influence of Moscow lingers in Moldavian politics.
But under President Sandu, the country launched conversations to become a member of the EU and last year held a referendum in which voters chose to anchor the purpose of joining the block in their constitution.
That vote was the initiative of the president, an attempt to put the EU path of Moldova in stone.
In the end, the mood “yes” won with only a small margin from 50.4% to 49.5%. The referendum was entangled by extensive evidence of Russian interference – including cash that was smuggled to the country to buy votes.
It is thought that only a small percentage of the money sent is intercepted – 10 to 15% of the total – and in Moldova, with its small population, every mood has.
“With 200,000 votes it is possible to change everything: it is enough to look at the EU referendum in October, which was determined by such a small margin,” notes Sergiu Panainte, deputy director of the German Marshall Fund in Bucharest.
“The fines for selling your voice are really big, but there are still people who want to do it.”
The hybrid attacks of Russia are a large part of the problem for Sandu’s pass, but not everything.
Opponents do not accuse the government of not going far enough when tackling corruption, for example and in Russian -speaking regions such as Gagauzia, voters believe that Moldavia should deal with Moscow and not “against each other”.
President Sandu and her supporters very disagree.
In 2022, when Russia launched the full invasion of Moldova Ukraine in the full scale, she made a decisive turn to Europe as the only guarantee for the safety of its own country and sovereignty.
The last police raids suggest that Moscow did not give it up.
Bloomberg News Agency separately reported on Monday that documents were explained with extensive Russian plans to sow unrest and heat the mood.
The Russian SVR Foreign Intelligence Service has now issued its own statement, deliberately reflected what Moldova has said. It claims that European countries themselves expand the “flagrant falsification” of the result on Sunday to provoke protests.
The SVR even warns that the EU could “assemble an armed invasion and de-facto occupation” of Moldova, whereby he falsely claims that the EU is using troops.
“This is openly planning Russia for Plan B,” warns Sergiu Panainte. “If PAs get a majority, it means they [Russia] Will resort to violence and staged attacks. This is the option they prepare. “
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