Almost a year after the war in Ukraine began, another Eastern European country risks falling into chaos amid Russian interference and skyrocketing inflation. In Moldova, 48-year-old Dorin Recean was appointed head of the Chisinau government after the resignation of former pro-Western prime minister Natalia Gavrilita. The new prime minister, an economics professor, was a member of the visa liberalization task force with the EU. In continuity with the outgoing prime minister, he is seen as a character close to the West and with a dream of allowing Moldova to join the European Union. But the country is said to be not on his side.
Gas stop and skyrocketing prices
Russia, which has troops in the separatist Moldavian region of Transnistria, actually wants to avoid at all costs another former Soviet republic’s approach to the EU. In addition to Moscow’s obvious effects, as evidenced by the passage of two Russian missiles over Moldovan airspace today, the country has to contend with a sharp rise in inflation, which reached 27.3% in January, and a mass influx of refugees from Ukraine. It shares a long land border with Moldova. Chisinau has also suffered power outages following Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian power plants and has been trying to rid itself of its tough dependence on gas from Russia, which has guaranteed supplies to the only pro-Russian Transnistria region in recent months.
Sharp price hikes sparked street protests against former prime minister and president Maia Sandu. The main demonstrations were organized by the opposition party led by Ilan Shor, a pro-Russian oligarch who has been sanctioned by the US for his proximity to the Kremlin.
conflict with Moscow
Today is a picture of the difficulties that convinced former prime minister Gavrilita, who has been head of government for a year and a half, to throw in the towel. Just a few days ago, the former prime minister asked Russia not to interfere in his country’s internal affairs. “The statements of Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, who likened Moldova to Ukraine, are alarming and do not take into account the sovereignty and independence of our Republic, which, like all other countries, should determine its own destiny,” said Gavrilita. At a press conference in Brussels last Tuesday. A few days ago, the head of Russian diplomacy argued that the West wanted to make a “new Ukraine” by pushing Moldova towards NATO. “Citizens of Moldova want to follow the European path and the views of Moldovan citizens must be respected,” added the former prime minister.
Zelensky’s warning
In the following days, Moldova was warned by Kyiv of the Russian services’ plan to overthrow the country’s government. “We caught up with Russia’s plans to destroy Moldova, break its democracy and establish control over the country,” Volodymyr Zelensky said in his speech at the Council of Europe yesterday. “We do not know whether Moscow has given approval to implement this plan, which is very similar to the plan for Ukraine,” said the Kyiv leader. In the following hours, two Russian missiles flew over Moldavian territory.
“Order and Peace”
The task of reviving the nation’s wealth now falls to the neo-premier Recean. “The new government will have three priorities: order and discipline, a new life and economy, peace and stability,” he said at a press conference.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
