Moldova fights Russian hybrid war over EU membership
The Russian Federation has once again accused the authorities in Chișinău of employing an "invented Russian threat" to justify the Republic of Moldova’s rapprochement with the European Union and NATO, claiming Chișinău is "militarizing" the country's territory.
However, experts in Chișinău contend that these claims are false, biased, and part of the Kremlin's strategy to undermine the state's European course.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, criticized statements made by President Maia Sandu and Deputy Prime Minister Mihai Popșoi at the Security Forum held in Chișinău on November 18, asserting that "Russia is trying to intimidate Moldovans with war and has already attempted to organize violent actions."
Zakharova labeled these statements by Moldovan officials as "invented."
Furthermore, on November 27, Zakharova claimed that "according to polls, 70% of the republic's citizens do not support the idea of joining NATO, and 78% advocate for maintaining permanent neutrality." She accused the leadership in Chișinău of ignoring the will of the population and acting under the influence of the West.
In her view, the US and the EU are "militarizing" the Republic of Moldova through projects like the "construction of ammunition depots in Bălți" and allegedly involving the country in illegal arms trafficking, citing the incident at the Albița - Leușeni border crossing.
Zakharova argued that European integration would destroy Moldova's historical and economic ties with Russia and the CIS, leading to economic decline, reduced bilateral trade, and dependence on European loans.
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson also presented European financial aid as a tool of "colonization," stating that the pro-European government is transforming the country into a "dependent state," leading to massive population migration.
'Completely Unfounded' Accusations
"This type of rhetoric is already customary from Mrs. Zakharova. The statements of the senior Kremlin official only confirm that the Russian Federation does not view the Republic of Moldova as a friendly state," commented security expert in the Black Sea region, Mihai Isac, for Teleradio-Moldova, noting that this is not the first time Moscow has used such tactics.
The analyst stated that the Russian Federation's involvement in the Republic of Moldova's internal politics is a decades-old habit, and any step taken by Chișinău towards the European Union is immediately criticized by Moscow.
According to Isac, Russian propaganda frequently resorts to myths and false accusations, including narratives about the militarization of the Republic of Moldova or the country being transformed into an arms trafficking hub—claims he describes as "completely unfounded."
Isac recalled that "the only state that has militarized regions of the Republic of Moldova is the Russian Federation," which maintains an occupation contingent in the country's eastern Transnistrian region.
"The Republic of Moldova must react with dignity through diplomatic channels and, of course, by issuing statements demonstrating the falsity of the Russian Federation's accusations," he emphasized.
Regarding the Albița incident, the analyst believes it must be rigorously investigated by the competent authorities, also raising the hypothesis that it could be a provocation orchestrated by Russian intelligence services to strain Moldova's relations with partner states.
He added that accusations regarding the construction of military facilities with US support are groundless.
"Even when United States military personnel were involved in humanitarian operations on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, to rebuild medical facilities or improve living conditions for students in schools, these actions were interpreted as evidence of the Republic of Moldova's militarization. So, these accusations are so common and so false that the Chișinău authorities only need to point to other false accusations from the past to demonstrate their untruthfulness," Mihai Isac pointed out.
Referring to the claims that Chișinău uses the "Russian threat" to justify EU or NATO integration, the analyst asserts that such messages are part of the usual arsenal of information warfare waged by Moscow against the Republic of Moldova.
Mihai Isac stressed that the only state endangering the Republic of Moldova's neutrality is the Russian Federation and warned that similar narratives will continue to emerge in the coming years as the country's European integration process advances.
Anatol Țăranu: 'Zakharova Defends the Interests of an Aggressive Russia'
The comments made by Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova are extremely biased and defend the interests of an aggressive Russia that is waging an unjust war against Ukraine, commented political analyst Anatol Țăranu.
According to the historian, "from this point of view, everything Zakharova says fits into the justification for this war."
Țăranu further states that the accusations leveled against the Republic of Moldova—that the country is "allegedly militarizing"—are "absolutely unfounded." In his opinion, these statements show "that Russia is extremely displeased with the policy of solidarity that the Republic of Moldova is demonstrating towards Ukraine and is seeking any pretext to strike at the Republic of Moldova and weaken this solidarity effort."
"Maria Zakharova's accusations should not be taken into consideration, but, of course, the Republic of Moldova and its relevant bodies have the obligation to explain to the population how biased and unfair these accusations are. Russia continues its hybrid warfare against the Republic of Moldova," Țăranu explained.
The political analyst warned that, "should Russia have the possibility of a territorial junction with the territory of the Republic of Moldova, we can expect that Russian military aggression will be extended to our state."
According to Anatol Țăranu, the Republic of Moldova must "consolidate its defense capabilities, even if they are very modest," as well as "have a well-established information policy."
When asked by Teleradio-Moldova for a comment regarding Moscow's new accusations, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that they would return with an official position later.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
