US government: Russia wants to destabilize Moldova
According to the US government, Russia is trying to destabilize the Republic of Moldova. “Russia is pursuing ways to weaken the Moldovan government, presumably with the goal of a more pro-Russian government,” National Security Council communications director John Kirby said on Friday.
Russian actors, some with connections to Russian secret services, are fueling protests in order to start an uprising against the Moldovan government. However, the US government does not see an immediate military threat to Moldova, Kirby said.
Moldova borders Romania to the west and Ukraine to the east. Russia still has great influence in Moldova today – especially in the breakaway region of Transnistria, where Russian soldiers have been stationed since the 1990s. The ex-Soviet republic is not part of NATO and is politically divided between pro-European and pro-Russian forces. Most recently, Moldova’s pro-European President Maia Sandu warned of possible attempts at a coup in view of Russia’s war against Ukraine. International observers also accuse Russia of wanting to destabilize the situation in the impoverished country that is striving to join the EU.
