On Monday, Moldovan President Maia Sandu accused Russia of planning to overthrow the pro-EU leadership by using “saboteurs with military background, camouflaged in civilian clothes, to undertake violent actions, [attack] state institutions and [take] hostages.”
During a press conference, Sandu stated that Moscow is plotting “protests by the so-called opposition” in a bid to “overthrow the constitutional order and replace the legitimate power of Chișinău with an illegitimate one” by involving foreign citizens from Russia, Montenegro, Belarus, and Serbia.
Moldova claims that Russia's tactics consist of hostage taking and attacks on government buildings
— Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) February 13, 2023
Russia's promotion of Kremlin friendly figures like ex-President Igor Dodon might be taking a step upwards
“The Kremlin’s attempts to bring violence to Moldova will not work,” Sandu vowed, clarifying that the government’s priority is “the security of citizens and the state.”
Keeping this in mind, she affirmed that the parliament must “quickly adopt” laws that empower the country’s Intelligence and Security Service (SIS) and prosecutors with “the necessary means to fight more efficiently against national security threats.”
Zelensky’s Warning
Sandu’s accusation comes against the backdrop of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warning her about a “detailed Russian plan to undermine the political situation in Moldova,” which the Ukrainian authorities intercepted last week.
Zelensky claimed that the Russian document detailed “who, when and through what actions was going to break Moldova [and] establish their control over it.”
Moldova’s Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita quits as Russia’s war rages in neighbouring Ukraine. This is bad news. She was a very strong pro European ally. https://t.co/3cfQP3YN6D
— Bill Browder (@Billbrowder) February 10, 2023
Days later, Moldovan PM Natalia Gavrilita resigned.
Opposition Slams Sandu
Moldova’s opposition comprising the Communist and Socialist bloc condemned Sandu’s remarks, demanding the authorities to make public the evidence of such claims.
“Otherwise, such statements will be considered a provocation geared to drag Moldova into the armed conflict [of Ukraine], whip up tension in society, intimidate the opposition and tighten political prosecution of all those having different views,” it noted in a statement.
In Putin's mind, Ukraine is just the first step in his desire to reconstitute the Soviet Union. Moldova is another piece of the plan. Russia has been trying to destabilize Moldova for years. #StopRussia #StandWithUkraine️ https://t.co/eUMz8sDsvQ
— Richard Stengel (@stengel) February 13, 2023
US “Deeply Concerned”
During a press conference on Monday, US National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby called the reports “deeply concerning” and “certainly not outside the bounds of Russian behaviour.”