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Vladimir Putin is reportedly considering targeting Moldova once he wins Ukraine.
Last week, Moldovans voted in the first round of the presidential election, with incumbent Maia Sandu leading the vote count. In the background, there is something else at stake…
Moldova also voted on whether to become a member of the European Union, with a narrow “yes” vote. The move means the country will have to change some laws to meet the standards required of all EU members.
Before the elections, the Moldovan government had expressed concerns about possible electoral fraud linked to votes cast by Moldovans living in Russia. Orysia Lutsevych, deputy director of the Russia and Eurasia programme at Chatham House, had also stressed that Moscow was trying to destabilize Moldova.
Putin instrumentalizes Moldova
“[Putin] is consistent in his view that [Moldova] belongs to him and, as we see with Ukraine, he is prepared to take high losses and pay a high price ,” Lutsevych told The Sun.
“He is interested in Moldova as a whole and these territories would only be a means to achieve his goals. I think he could use these territories to neutralize Moldova first and then eventually control it fully,” she added.
