The head of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), Oleksandr Bortnikov, accused in a rare intervention on Thursday that the West is “actively” inciting the Republic of Moldova to participate in the war in Ukraine, TASS reports.

He stated this at a meeting of the Council of Heads of Law Enforcement Agencies and Special Services of the Commonwealth of Independent States, an informal organization that includes several post-Soviet countries.

“Ukraine has become a launching pad for a war against Russia and subversive activities against Belarus. “Western countries are actively involving the Republic of Moldova in the Ukrainian conflict, calling on it to clean Transnistria by force,” he said.

His statement was made in the context of the fact that 47 heads of state and government from Europe and the EU will visit the Republic of Moldova on Thursday to participate in the second meeting of the European political community in Bulboac, a city located several tens of kilometers from the border with Ukraine.

This is an initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron, who sees it as an opportunity to structure a dialogue from a position of equality between the EU and non-EU countries on issues facing all European countries.

The structure includes several countries that want to join the European Union, including the Republic of Moldova, as well as the only one that has ever left the bloc, Great Britain.

Oleksandr Bortnikov’s intervention on Thursday is extremely rare, he rarely makes comments or even public appearances, unlike Sergey Naryshkin, his colleague in Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service.

The Republic of Moldova wants to leave the Russian-led organization

The comment made by Bortnikov at the meeting of the heads of the special services of the CIS member states takes place in the context of the fact that in mid-May, the President of the Chisinau Parliament Ihor Grosu announced the beginning of the procedure for recalling the Republic of Moldova from the org.

On May 15, Grosu stated that the CIS is an organization created by Russia on the ruins of the USSR to keep former Soviet countries in its sphere of influence.

“We can no longer sit at the negotiating table with an aggressor state,” he emphasized.

Chisinau’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nika Popescu first announced that Moldova could leave the CIS in January of this year.

“In the CIS, we do not see processes taking place that would be in the interests of the Republic of Moldova. There are some meetings, but we don’t go to them. This is our response to Russian aggression against Ukraine. We have had problems with exports since 2006, and over time we see that this organization is becoming less and less relevant for our country,” he said then.

Grosu was referring to the fact that Moldovan President Maia Sandu and the pro-Russian government in Chisinau do not participate in CIS meetings.

In addition, Maya Sandu was the only CIS head of state whom President Vladimir Putin did not congratulate on the occasion of Victory Day in the Second World War, which is celebrated by Russia and the allied countries on May 9.

Chisinau’s move to withdraw from the CIS came after President Maia Sandu repeatedly accused Russia of trying to destabilize the Republic of Moldova based on a predetermined plan with the intervention of political actors inside the country.

The Republic of Moldova confirms its support for Ukraine

“Today is an important day for my country and for Europe. I can’t wait to receive the presidents and prime ministers of the countries of the European political community (…) We have many topics to discuss. Of course, we will talk about the situation in Ukraine, the restoration of peace on the continent is on our agenda,” Maya Sandu said on Thursday, opening the meeting of the European Political Community.

We must once again confirm our support for Ukraine in its resistance to Russian aggression,” she stressed, adding that during the bilateral meetings, she will also discuss the issue of the Republic of Moldova’s accession to the EU.

“Our commitment is to prepare the country for accession, and I call on European leaders to support this plan and start negotiations as soon as possible,” said Maja Sandu. The meeting started at 12:00.

Maja Sandu will hold a press conference together with other European leaders at 17:00 after the discussions.

Around 10:30, she received the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, the Kyiv leader thanked the Republic of Moldova for its support in the case of Ukrainian refugees.

“We support the integration of Moldova and its people into the EU. You supported our people, our refugees who fled in the first days of the war, and we will never forget that,” Zelenskyy said, standing next to Maya Sandu.

“Our future is in the EU. Ukraine is ready to join NATO,” the President of Ukraine emphasized.

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