Tens of thousands of Moldovans gathered in Chisinau on Sunday to support the country’s government’s aspirations for European integration.
The protest took place against the backdrop of what Moldovan officials say are Russian attempts to destabilize the situation in the country.
Moldova suffered greatly from the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which Chisinau repeatedly condemned.
Recall that the country applied for EU membership and received candidate status.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu has accused Russia of trying to undermine the country’s European integration by using propaganda and inciting anti-government sentiment.
“Moldova does not want to be blackmailed by the Kremlin,” Sandu told a rally in the central square of the Moldovan capital.
More than 75,000 people attended the rally, police said.
“We don’t want to be on the fringes of Europe anymore,” Sandu said, promising Moldova would become an EU member by 2030.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, who is visiting Chisinau, also spoke at the rally, saying Europe will accept Moldova “with open arms and open hearts”.
“You will bring a piece of Moldova to Europe and make Europe stronger,” she said.
The demonstrators called on Moldovan political leaders to amend the country’s constitution to reflect its European aspirations.
The fugitive leader of a pro-Russian opposition party, businessman Ilan Shor, told supporters at protests in several cities via video link that he would call for a referendum on Russia’s foreign policy Moldova.
Shor, who was sanctioned by the United States as an agent of Russian influence in Moldova, was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison last month for his involvement in the 2014 theft of a billion dollars in Moldovan banks.
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