Sandu: We Will Not Allow the Kremlin to Meddle in Our Domestic Affairs

There is no military danger for the Republic of Moldova thanks to the resistance of the Ukrainian army. That is what President Maia Sandu says, stating that Ukraine is now a shield of calm and security for the Republic of Moldova. Meanwhile, according to the head of state, Russia has not given up the idea of seizing power in Moldova and employs a variety of hybrid warfare elements to establish compliant authorities in Chisinau, ipn.md reports. President Maia Sandu noted that heroism of the Ukrainian army keeps the front line far away from the Moldovan-Ukrainian border, and that the danger of Moldova’s involvement in the war is minimal. With no direct military danger, Moldova still faces elements of hybrid warfare, the head of state said. “The Russian Federation makes attempts to undermine and overthrow the government, and there are several confirmations of this. Russia is trying to establish a pro-Russian government in Chisinau in order to use Moldova against Ukraine, as it is doing in the case of Belarus. I’ve heard the Kremlin say that they will deploy nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus. This is exactly what Russia wants to do also with regard to the Republic of Moldova, because today Moldova has an independent government that works for the benefit of its citizens, and therefore it cannot be used in the way a pro-Russian government would be used,” Maia Sandu said on the Puncte de Reflecție (in English – Points for Reflection) program of the Vocea Basarabiei TV channel. Maia Sandu believes that Russia is not giving up the idea of bringing Moldova back into its sphere of influence and is acting through pro-Russian politicians from Chisinau to destabilize the situation. Maia Sandu stressed that people who serve Russian interests will be identified, and this requires enhanced capacities of the Information and Security Service (SIS). “These acts to destabilize put pressure on our institutions, create discomfort, but we have proven that we can cope with this pressure. Citizens elected this government, and only citizens can change things during elections if they want to. This does not concern the Russian Federation, and we will not allow the Kremlin to meddle in our internal affairs. It is clear that those who work for Moscow do it for money, and that is their choice. Since they took money from the Kremlin, it’s not so easy to regain their freedom. We have institutions that document these cases, we are trying to strengthen their leverage, including by changing the regulatory framework of the ISS. But in order to see an end to it, all institutions have to function. Some undergo reform, others resist, I mean the judiciary,” the Moldovan president added. The bills to reform the Information and Security Service are on the agenda of today’s parliamentary session. If they are approved and enacted, the ISS will gain the prerogative to intercept, wiretap, and install individual surveillance devices without a judge’s warrant.