Brussels (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Uncertainties are growing with Russia as Moldova’s pro-western government blames Russia for organising the vandalism of state facilities.
Moldova has accused a recent spate of attacks on government and state buildings in the capital Chisinau on Moscow, expressing Russia is trying to exploit next month’s election. In just four weeks’ time, Moldova will maintain both a presidential election and a referendum on EU membership – on October 20th.
The government has repeatedly blamed Russia for executing a “hybrid war” against the country, meddling in local elections and running extensive disinformation campaigns to try to overturn the government and derail its course toward joining the EU.
The facilities of the Supreme Court and the state-run broadcaster were both splashed with paint, and the Ministry for Labour and Social Protection was also spray-smeared. The police state they have made a number of arrests and are exploring leads that Moscow may have organised the attacks.
What role does Transnistria play in Moldova’s rising tensions?
Since Russia overran Ukraine two years ago, fears have grown in neighbouring Moldova that it could also be in Moscow’s crosshairs. Like Ukraine, Moldova is an ex-Soviet republic that has aligned itself with the West and desires to join the European Union. Moldova gained independence from the ex-Soviet Union in 1991 and after a short battle in the early 1990s, Transnistria proclaimed independence from Moldova.
Although Transnistria’s independence isn’t acknowledged by any U.N. member countries, including Russia, the Kremlin-friendly territory has become a source of stress during the war, especially since it is wedged between Moldova and Ukraine and is home to a military base with 1,500 Russian armies.
What is the status of US support for Moldova?
In May, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken committed €124 million in assistance to Moldova for energy security and to oppose Russian disinformation.
“That in turn will bolster the ability of Moldovans to resist Russian interference, to hold free and fair elections, to continue down the path to the European Union and Western integration, to create more economic opportunity,”
Blinken stated during his visit to Chisinau.
Moldova, with approximately 2.5 million people, used to be entirely hanging on Russia for its natural gas supplies. It met an acute energy crisis after Moscow dramatically diminished supplies in the winter of 2022. Moldova’s energy woes deteriorated that year after it mourned temporary blackouts because its Soviet-era energy systems remained associated with Ukraine’s, which were being drilled hard by Russia’s military.
