Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, said in an interview with TV8 that “Russia wants to take power in Moldova”, but it will not happen with “tanks”, as in Ukraine, but with “bandits”, hinting at a possible coup. An anti-government protest is planned for Sunday in Chisinau, which is said to be behind pro-Russian forces.

The Ukrainian official called on the Republic of Moldova to make the “right choice”, referring to the protests announced on Sunday in the capital of the Republic of Moldova, which are taking place in a tense context amid fears of a coup d’état. can be organized with the participation of pro-Russian forces.

He addressed the Moldovans and suggested that they choose Russia if they want to live in a “concentration camp” or the current government of Maya Sandu if they want a life “in the free world.”

“Always make the right choice. Invariably. why Because if you get in the wrong mood or get scared, you could end up in a very, very bad country. It can destroy the future of many people, especially children. We understand this very well, and Russia did not tolerate us so much, understanding that we will never give in to any pro-Russian protests, rallies, that is, it is impossible to imagine here in Kyiv, and that is why Russia introduced tanks. In Moldova, Russia wants to do something else, it wants to take power to do to you what it did to us. Only not by tanks, but by bandits. Think about what a pro-Russian protest means. Then you will be ready to run around the world in search of another home? Because where there is Russia, there is no Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, no country except the world of the Russian camp. Where bandits rule and rule, where convicts rule and rule, where soldiers who rob, kill and rape rule,” said Mykhailo Podolyak in an interview with TV8.

The warning was issued in the context of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announcing to the EU leaders and then to the participants of the Security Conference in Munich that Russia has plans to “destroy” and “suffocate” the Republic of Moldova.

The tone between Moscow and Chisinau intensified

For her part, the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, confirmed on Monday that Moscow’s plan to destabilize Moldova through subversive actions, including hostage-taking and attacks on some institutions that may have involved citizens, had been foiled. .with military training” from the Russian Federation, Belarus, Serbia and Montenegro.

Since then, the Republic of Moldova has banned several foreigners, some from Serbia and Montenegro, from entering the country. In the latest example, on the night from Saturday to Sunday, four foreign citizens who wanted to enter Moldova using false documents were spotted at Chisinau airport. They were citizens of Uzbekistan and came from Istanbul, reports jurnal.md.

Anti-government protest in Chisinau

An anti-government protest was announced in Chisinau on Sunday after Moldova faced similar street movements last fall. The media investigation showed that pro-Russian forces from the Republic of Moldova are behind these protests, in particular the internationally wanted oligarch Ilan Shor.

In addition, on Saturday, the authorities conducted more than 20 searches and detained eight people in the case of illegal financing of Ilan Shor’s party. According to the press release of the prosecutor’s office of Chisinau, cited by desdechi.md, “criminal actions took place throughout the territory of the Republic of Moldova, at the residence of some members of the faction, who actively and systematically participate in receiving and distributing funds in particularly large amounts to the heads and deputy heads territorial units of the party, for the transportation and payment of labor of citizens from different regions of the country for protest actions organized by the Shore Party during September 2022 – until now, including action scheduled for February 19.”

Recently, the tone between Moscow and Chisinau has increased, with Russian officials warning that the Republic of Moldova could become the “new Ukraine” due to its pro-Western orientation. (source news.ro)