Maia Sandu for CNN: Russia will not stop at Ukraine or Moldova
In an exclusive interview with CNN, Moldovan President Maia Sandu called for more support for Ukraine, warning that Russia will not stop at Ukraine or Moldova if the country is not helped.
Sandu spoke to CNN's Christiane Amanpour in Chisinau on Sunday, the 32nd anniversary of Moldova's independence. The country borders Ukraine and has experienced serious tensions with Russia, particularly over the pro-Russian separatist region of Transnistria, where Russian troops are stationed. In February, Russian President Vladimir Putin revoked a 2012 foreign policy decree that partially recognized Moldova's independence.
In the interview, Sandu said that Transnistria is home to a regime that is supported by Russia. "There are Russian troops that are illegally stationed in the Transnistrian region," she said. "And, of course, this is how the Russian authorities are trying to influence things in Moldova."
Tensions have grown even more since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with the mutual expulsion of diplomats between Moscow and Chisinau.
"When people from Russia try to overthrow a democratically elected government, this is a very clear sign that there is no respect for this country," Sandu told Amanpour, referring to the expulsion of Russian diplomats.
Moldova is not currently a member of the European Union, but applied for membership shortly after Russia launched its invasion and was granted candidate status in June 2022. Sandu said that "it is a long process" and acknowledged that "there are still corrupt judges and prosecutors (in Moldova) who do not want reforms to succeed." She stressed, however, that "democracy in Moldova will be preserved when the country becomes an EU member state."
