- Moldova's President, Maia Sand, announced that the referendum on Chisinau's accession to the European Union will be held on October 20 of this year, coinciding with the first round of the presidential elections.
- Moldova's pro-Western orientation does not sit well with the Kremlin, which wishes to keep the country within its sphere of influence
- Russia will use all possible methods to trap Moldova. For this purpose, the Kremlin may use rebellious Moldovan provinces — Transnistria and Gaugasia. “The Kremlin is engaging pro-Russian entities in Moldova to destabilize its democracy and society.” — Evaluated by the Institute for the Study of War
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Moldova's President, Maia Sand, announced that the country will hold a referendum on joining the European Union. The Head of State announced that she had asked Parliament to begin procedures for a referendum on the constitution. Voting is scheduled to take place next October 20, coinciding with the presidential elections.
“Moldova is developing Ukraine's course, which means there will be a rigged referendum.”
The Kremlin and its propagandists are doing everything they can to ensure that Chisinau remains in Russia's sphere of influence. Putin's newspaper “Izvestia” published a text stating that “a civil war may break out in Moldova because of the country's desire to join the European Union.”
“Moldova is developing a Ukraine path, which means there will be a rigged referendum, there will be civil protests, then some form of civil confrontation and the police will disperse the demonstrators. And then there may be a civil war with the territories separating.” — He threatens the pro-Kremlin professor Alexei Yaroshenko, a political scientist.
The Kremlin is trying to use all possible methods to dissuade the people of Moldova from its pro-Western path. According to information from the Moldovan Security Service, Russia is planning, among other things, attacks. Major hybrid attacks against Chisinau.
Transnistria – the most hotspot in Europe
Russia and Moldova are divided in their stance towards its rebellious province — Transnistria. This is the part of Moldova that did not want to secede from the Soviet Union (30% of the region's population is Russian) and has financial and logistical support from Moscow. The rebels receive gas and oil on very preferential terms. There is also a 500-strong Russian garrison on site.
Celebrating the independence of rebellious and internationally unrecognized Transnistria
“Hybrid or conventional attack in the future”
The second hotspot is the Gaugasia region. There, the Kremlin uses local activist Eugenia Gutul, who has begun speaking out about secession. The region shows strong pro-Russian tendencies. This politician constantly repeats the Kremlin's message that “the pro-Western authorities in Moldova ignore the interests of the Russian-speaking part of the country's population.”
“The Kremlin is engaging pro-Russian entities in Moldova to destabilize its democracy and society and prevent Moldova from joining the European Union. Russia may want to justify a hybrid or conventional attack in the future.” — The US think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) evaluated this in a report.
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