Moldova’s president has accused Russia of plotting to overthrow the country’s pro-EU government through violent actions disguised as opposition protest. Maia Sandu said authorities had confirmed an alleged Russian plot to destabilise her country that Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, had revealed last week, writes The Guardian.
Zelenskiy told EU leaders that Ukraine had intercepted a plan from Russian intelligence, having uncovered a document that showed “who, when and how was going to break the democracy of Moldova and establish control” over the country.
On Monday, days after the Moldovan government resigned, Sandu said local institutions had confirmed the plan, adding that it was not a new one.
The plan involved citizens of Russia, Montenegro, Belarus and Serbia entering Moldova to try to spark protests in an attempt to “change the legitimate government to an illegal government controlled by the Russian Federation”, she said.
“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 of 2.6 million people that borders Ukraine and Romania, a Nato and EU member state, is seeking to join the bloc and was awarded candidate status last June, a major achievement for its western-leaning president and government.
