Moldovan President Maia Sandu announced Russia’s plan for a violent overthrow of power in the republic. The details of this plan were given by the Ukrainian special services. According to Sandu, saboteurs from Russia, Belarus, Serbia and Montenegro should be sent to the territory of Moldova, supposed to destabilize the situation in the republic by organizing riots, demonstrations, attacks on Moldovan government institutions and attacks. hostage taking. Supporters of opposition businessmen and politicians Vlad Plahotniuc and Ilan Shor were also believed to be involved in these actions.
Relations between Moscow and Chisinau deteriorated markedly after the pro-Russian Igor Dodon lost the presidential election to Maia Sandu, who is pursuing a policy of integrating the country into the European Union, and the Action party and Solidarity, which supports Sandu’s policies, won the presidential election. parliamentary elections. The current Moldovan authorities have repeatedly condemned Russian aggression against Ukraine.
“Rockets do not choose their victims on a national basis, but kill everyone”
Former Moldovan Defense Minister Anatol Șalaru noted that many analysts assumed such a development of events. “From the start of this war, it was clear that Russia was preparing a military scenario for the occupation of the Republic of Moldova. But Ukraine resisted and survived, the Russian army was expelled from Snake Island, the flagship cruiser Moskva sank, and it was clear that Russia did not have enough forces to land troops on the coast of ‘Odessa or southern Bessarabia to enter the Republic of Moldova and connect with the military who are illegally in Transnistria,’ he recalled.
After that, several military coup scenarios were developed in Russia, predicting a violent change of power in Moldova. “They should involve ‘useful idiots’ from countries where Russian influence is particularly strong, and one of these scenarios involved staging unrest in Moldova and introducing ‘little green men’ into that context, who would occupy the country and announce the creation of a “people’s government”, to protect the “neutrality” of the Republic of Moldova”. And then, with the help of the people of Transnistria and the Gagauz autonomy, they would organize early elections to appoint a puppet government dependent on Russia,” the former defense minister told the correspondent of the Russian service “Voices America”.
Salaru added that last summer in Kiev he spoke with representatives of the Ukrainian special services, who described this scenario to him. An attempt to prepare such a coup was made in the fall, when the Socialists and the Shor party held protest rallies in Chisinau, but the European Union-backed government of Moldova survived.
“Then there were statements by (Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation) Lavrov that Moldova was the next attempt after Ukraine to create ‘anti-Russia’, there were discussions on Russian television various propagandists who spoke about the legality of the overthrow of the government of Moldova and its occupation, there were rallies in Gagauzia with calls to arms and many other similar demonstrations. Russians flew over the territory of Moldova, and some even fell here, it became clear that it was not a coincidence or an accident, and Moldova began to say that Russia posed the greatest threat to it » , says Anatol Salaru.
He summarizes: “While a few years ago, only 10% of the Moldovan population supported the idea of the country joining NATO, today this figure is approaching 50%. In addition, among them there are many Russians, Bulgarians, Gagauz and other national minorities who live in Moldova. Everyone talks more and more about the Russian threat, because they understand that the missiles do not choose their victims on a national basis, but kill everyone – as was the case in Mariupol and other Ukrainian cities where the majority of the population was Russian.
“Such actions by Russia are not excluded and they have an internal logic”
Political analyst Boris Dolgin believes that there is only fragmentary information about what was said by various official and unofficial people in Kiev and Chisinau about a possible coup in Moldova. And that American politicians have expressed concern about this information.
However, he sees Moscow’s efforts to destabilize the situation in Moldova as a very likely option. “It would be logical, but, by the way, it can also be an information game, beneficial on the one hand to Ukraine, in order to weaken the position of Russia. On the other hand, it is beneficial for Moldovan leaders to mobilize the political class and wider circles of society around the country’s authorities,” Dolgin suggested in an interview with a correspondent for the Russian service of media.
The expert also noted that the Russian leadership is trying to divert the Ukrainian armed forces from the areas where the hostilities are taking place so that they disperse, in particular, in the north near the border with Belarus and in the south-west , where a new source of tension is possible. “And in that sense, it would be natural to plan such a ‘special operation’ one way or another. Moreover, the well-known thesis on the desire to deprive Ukraine of access to the sea and to control the entire Black Sea region deserves support. And the accomplishment of such a task would be greatly facilitated by the support of pro-Russian forces from the territory of Moldova or at least Transnistria. But it is difficult to imagine that these forces can act without destabilizing the situation in Moldova. Such actions by Russia are therefore not excluded and they have an internal logic,” said Boris Dolgin.
Dolgin underlined: “Of course, the Moldovan leaders want Europe and the United States to monitor the situation very closely. However, this attention is provided by the status of candidate country for accession to the European Union and the privileged relations with Romania. But it is also a reminder of the need to closely monitor the signals coming from the Russian side. And the last incident with a rocket (flying over the territory of Moldova – AP) served as an additional reminder.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s remarks at the end of the meeting of Alliance Defense Ministers in Brussels show that NATO member countries are paying increased attention to the situation in Moldova: “Ministers also discussed our obligations towards other partners who are in danger, in particular towards Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Moldova. We agreed to step up support to improve their defense capabilities, resilience and compatibility with NATO. Stoltenberg called these states “valuable partners” of NATO who face “Russian threats”.
