Moldova’s President Says Russia Attempting to Undermine Democracy in the Country

Maia Sandu, president of Moldova

The president of Moldova has accused Russia of attempting to undermine the pro-EU administration of the country through violent operations camouflaged as opposition protest.

Maia Sandu stated that officials had corroborated an alleged Russian plot to destabilize her country, which Ukraine’s president exposed last week.

Zelenskiy informed EU leaders that Ukraine had intercepted a plan from Russian intelligence, having unearthed a paper detailing “who, when, and how” the country’s democracy was to be overthrown and control seized.

On Monday, days after the Moldovan administration fell, Sandu said local institutions had validated the idea, adding that it was not a new one.

She stated that the plot encompassed Russian, Montenegrin, Belarusian, and Serbian nationals visiting Moldova in an attempt to incite protests and “change the legitimate government to an illegal government controlled by the Russian Federation”

“The Kremlin’s attempts to bring violence to Moldova will not work. Our main goal is the security of citizens and the state. Our goal is peace and public order in the country,” Sandu said.

“The purpose of these actions is to overturn the constitutional order, to change the legitimate power from Chișinău to an illegitimate one that would put our country at Russia’s disposal to stop the European integration process, but also so that Moldova can be used by Russia in its war against Ukraine.”

Moldova, a former Soviet Republic with a population of 2.6 million that borders Ukraine and Romania, a NATO and EU member state, seeks to join the bloc and was granted candidate status in June, a huge victory for its president and cabinet, who tilt to the west.