Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday in Brussels that Ukraine intercepted a plan by the Russian secret services to destroy the Republic of Moldova, according to the Associated Press. The statements come in the context in which Moscow accused the West, through the voice of its Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, of wanting to “turn the Republic of Moldova into a new Ukraine”.
Zelensky made these statements in Brussels, at the European Council, saying that he informed Maia Sandu about Moscow’s alleged scheme to destroy the Republic of Moldova.
“We intercepted a plan of the Russian secret services to destroy the Republic of Moldova. The document shows who, when and how will destroy the democracy of the Republic of Moldova and take control of the Republic of Moldova. When we received the document and understood where it came from, we immediately warned the Republic of Moldova. However, we do not know if Moscow really gave the order to follow this plan, but we intercepted it, recognized it and realized that they tried to implement a plan similar to Ukraine”, said the Ukrainian President.
In their turn, the Intelligence and Security Service of the Republic of Moldova confirmed, on Thursday, the existence of the plan by which Vladimir Putin wants to undermine the state led by Maia Sandu.
“Following the statements of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, the Intelligence and Security Service confirms the receipt of the relevant information from our Ukrainian partners. At the same time, SIS mentions that it carries out operative measures to elucidate attempts to destabilize the situation in the country and cooperates closely with partner intelligence services. In this context, SIS confirms that, both from the information presented by our Ukrainian partners and following the operational activity of the Service, subversive activities were identified with the aim of undermining the state of the Republic of Moldova, destabilizing and violating public order. The institution says that it does not provide more details because there is a risk of jeopardizing the various ongoing operational activities”, says a press release from the SIS, quoted by Agora.md
Zelensky’s statements come in the context in which leaders from Moscow have threatened Chisinau on several occasions. Early this month, the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, claimed that “the West has now set its eyes on the Republic of Moldova to have the role of the next Ukraine”, while Maia Sandu, “is ready, practically, for almost anything, including for the union with Romania”, according to TVR Moldova, quoting Rador.
On the other hand, the Russian ambassador to Bucharest, Valery Kuzmin, claimed on Wednesday, in a press conference, that the statements made by his boss, Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov, related to the Republic of Moldova were misinterpreted and he blamed Poland.
The ambassador claimed that Moscow did not want to threaten Chisinau, but on the contrary, wanted to draw attention to the fact that the West is using the Republic of Moldova, as it would have used Ukraine.
“Unfortunately, Mr. Duda (President of Poland, Andrzej Duda – no.) or someone from Poland tried to interpret the words of our Foreign Minister saying that the next target of Russia’s aggression, after Ukraine, will be Moldova. The meaning or explanation of the idea expressed by our Foreign Minister is exactly the opposite. He said that it seems that the West is taking advantage of the situation in which Moldova is, the fact that President Maia Sandu herself wants the country to join the Western alliance, etc., so it seems that the West has chosen for Moldova to follow the example, to practice the same function like Ukraine“, said Ambassador Valery Kuzmin on Wednesday, in a press conference, according to News.ro.