Kremlin threatening the independence of Moldova, the president warns before the key vote

The president of Moldova Maia Sandu warned that the European independence and future of her country are in danger after the police arrested dozens of people accused of participation in a conspiracy to stir up violent disorders, allegedly supported by Russia.

Only a few days before the central parliamentary elections on Sunday, Moldavian police said they had confiscated weapons and explosives in raids across the country.

They allege that some of the 74 detainees had traveled in Serbia for training by Russian instructors, including with firearms.

Addressing the nation, President Sandu accused the Kremlin of “paying hundreds of millions of euros” in Moldova to try to promote violence and spread disinformation and fear.

“The Kremlin believes that we are all to sell. That we are too small to resist. That we are not a country, only a territory,” said the president, highlighting Russian participation at the highest level.

“But Moldova is our house. And our house is not for sale.”

The pro -Russian parties accused Sandu of having tried to intimidate them – and swing the vote.

Sandu also called on supporters to go out and vote on Sunday during an election in which pro-Russian forces are ready to shake the pro-EU status quo. The majority owned by the own action and solidarity party of Sandu, not, seen at risk.

For her, high participation – especially among the diaspora – is the key.

Moldova declared its independence when the USSR collapsed over 30 years ago, but it has a significant Russian -speaking population. The Transnistria escape region, supported by Moscow, still houses a contingent of Russian troops.

For years, Moscow’s influence has persisted in Moldovan politics.

But under President Sandu, the country launched talks to join the EU and last year organized a referendum in which the voters chose to devote the objective of membership in the block in their constitution.

This ballot was the president’s initiative, an attempt to stone the Moldova EU.

In the end, the “yes” vote won a small margin of 50.4% to 49.5%. The referendum was mired by in -depth evidence of Russian interference – including money introduced into smuggling in the country to buy votes.

It is believed that only a small percentage of the money sent is intercepted – 10 to 15% of the total – and in Moldova, with its small population, each ballot.

“With 200,000 votes, it is possible to change everything: just look at the EU referendum in October, which was decided by such a small margin,” said Sergiu Panate, deputy director of the German Fund Marshall in Bucharest.

“The fines now for the sale of your vote are really important, but there are still people ready to do so.”

Russia’s hybrid attacks are a large part of the problem for the Pas de Sandu, but not everything.

Opponents accuse the government of not going far enough in the fight against corruption, for example, and in the Russian regions like Gagauzia, voters believe that Moldova should engage with Moscow and not “upset” it.

President Sandu and his supporters are strongly disagreed.

In 2022, when Russia launched the large -scale invasion of the neighbor of Ukraine Moldova, it made a decisive turn to Europe as the only guarantor of the security of its own country and its sovereignty.

The latest police raids suggest that Moscow has not abandoned.

In addition, on Monday, the Bloomberg news agency reported that it had seen documents describing large Russian plans to sow the troubles and distort the vote.

The SVR foreign intelligence service in Russia has now published its own declaration, deliberately reflecting what has been said by Moldova. He claims that the European countries themselves plot on Sunday the “blatant falsification” of the result in order to protest the demonstrations.

The SVR even warns that the EU could mount “an armed occupation and a de facto occupation” of Moldova, falsely affirming that the EU deploys troops.

“It is Russia that openly provides plan B,” warns Sergiu Panate. “If the APs get a majority, it means that they (Russia) will use violence and organized attacks. This is the option they are preparing.”