Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Moldova President Maya Sano warned that her country’s independence and the European future were in danger after police arrested dozens of people accused of plotting a disorder of violence disorderly supported by Russia.
Just days before the main parliamentary elections on Sunday, police in Moldova said she had confiscated weapons and explosives in attacks across the country.
They claim that some of the 74 detainees traveled to Serbia for training by Russian instructors, including firearms.
Turning to the nation, President Sano accused the Kremlin of “pouring hundreds of millions of euros” in Moldova in an attempt to ignite violence and spread misinformation and fear.
“The Kremlin believes we are all for sale. The fact that we are too small to oppose. The fact that we are not a country but only a territory,” the president said, pointing to the participation of the Russian at the highest level.
“But Moldova is our home. And our home is not for sale.”
The pro -Russian parties accused Sandu of trying to intimidate them – and swinging on the vote.
Sandu also called on the supporters to go out and throw their ballots on Sunday in an election, at which the pro -Russian forces are ready to shake the EU status quo. The majority held by the own party of actions and solidarity of Sano, PAS observed at risk.
It is a key high turnout – especially among the diaspora.
Moldova declared its independence as the USSR collapsed more than 30 years ago, but has a significant Russian population. The detached region of Transistria, supported by Moscow, is still home to a contingent of Russian troops.
For years, Moscow’s influence has been detained in Moldova’s policy.
But with President Sano, the country began conversations to join the EU and last year held a referendum in which voters chose to attach the goal of joining the block in their constitution.
This vote was the president’s initiative, an attempt to put Moldova’s path in Stone.
In the end, the vote “yes” won only a small margin from 50.4% to 49.5%. The referendum was thinned by extensive evidence of Russian intervention – including cash that smuggled in the country to buy votes.
It is estimated that only a small percentage of the money sent is captured – 10 to 15% of the total – and in Moldova, with its small population, each vote is counted.
“With 200,000 votes, it is possible to change everything: it is enough to look at the EU referendum in October, which was resolved with such a small margin,” said Sergiu Panait, deputy director of the Marshal German Fund in Bucharest.
“The fines now for selling your vote are really big, but there are still people ready to do so.”
Russia’s hybrid attacks are a large part of Sandu’s PAS problem, but not all.
Opponents accuse the government of not far enough to deal with corruption, for example, in Russian -speaking regions such as Gagauzia, voters believe that Moldova should deal with Moscow and not “antagonize” it.
President Sandu and her supporters strongly disagree.
In 2022, when Russia started the full -scale invasion of Moldova Ukraine’s neighbor, it made a decisive turn to Europe as the sole guarantor of the security of its own country and its sovereignty.
Recent police raids suggest that Moscow did not give up.
Separately, on Monday, the Bloomberg news agency announced that it has seen documents outlining extensive Russian plans to sow excitement and distortion of the vote.
The Russian SVR Foreign Intelligence Service has already issued its own statement, deliberately reflecting what Moldova said. It claims that European countries themselves are thinking of the “rough falsification” of the result on Sunday to provoke protests.
SVR even warns that the EU can install Moldova’s “armed invasion and de-fate”, deceived that the EU uses troops.
“This is Russia that is openly planning plan B,” warns Sergiu Pannore. “If PAS receives a majority, it means that they (Russia) will resort to violence and step -by -step attacks. This is an option for which they are preparing.”
