Russia declared the consul of the Republic of Moldova in Moscow “persona non grata” and banned several Moldovan officials from entering the country, including the Minister of Internal Affairs from Chisinau, Kommersant reports citing sources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow.

Later, this information was picked up by other Russian newspapers and the Prut press, and Kommersant sources said that Russia had banned Moldovan Interior Minister Ani Revenko, as well as several deputies of President Maia Sandu’s Action and Solidarity Party. from entering the country: Oazu Nantoi, Olesea Stamat and Lilian Karp.

The Moscow press writes that they were banned from entering Russia due to “constant anti-Russian statements and inclusion of Chisinau in the list of sanctions” imposed by the EU against some Russian officials.

This information appeared after the Russian press wrote on Tuesday morning that Chisinau’s ambassador to Moscow, Lilian Daria, was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry for talks.

After leaving the meeting, Darius made some strange statements in light of the new information, telling Russian journalists that he had a “constructive conversation” with the Russian side. “There is a diplomatic routine. Sometimes it is necessary to discuss some issues. Today was such a day,” said the Moldovan diplomat, answering questions about the reasons for the visit.

He also assessed the nature of the discussion as “positive”, reports the TASS agency. “In a constructive way,” he said when asked how the discussion went.

A new diplomatic dispute between the Rep. Moldova and Russia

But the Russian Foreign Ministry later announced it was expelling a Moldovan diplomat in response to the expulsion of a Russian diplomat from Chisinau last week, without specifying the name of the Moldovan official who would be expelled.

Russian diplomacy also said in a press release that this was the reason for calling Darius for talks, as well as for protesting against him for what Russian diplomacy described as “unfriendly moves towards Russia” and “constant statements against Russia” by the Chisinau government.

Representative In last week’s expulsion of a Russian diplomat, Moldova blamed the actions of the Moscow embassy in Chisinau against Moldovan border guards who refused to let through the Russian delegation led by the head of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnighanov, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin. , to the country.

Chisinau authorities claim that he was sent to the country to influence the elections in Gagauzia.

What started a new dispute between Moscow and Chisinau

The delegation led by Minnighanov, which also included the Russian metropolitan, was supposed to participate in a pre-election demonstration in this semi-autonomous region of the Republic. Moldova, where on April 30, the elections of baghin (head of the region) will be held.

Sources in Chisinau told DW that Minniganov was warned not to travel to the Republic of Moldova, and that he forcibly entered the country indicates that the purpose of his visit was to provoke the Moldovan authorities.

Rustam Minnikhanov is a supporter of the war unleashed by Russia in Ukraine, and together with his family was put on the list of Western sanctions.

Relations between Russia and the republic The situation in Moldova worsened significantly after the coming to power in the neighboring country of the pro-Western government of President Maia Sandu, who repeatedly accused Moscow of trying to destabilize the country after the invasion of Ukraine.

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