June 18, 2024, 8:28 p.m.
(Photo collage: Intent)
The governments of Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America have announced that the Russian Federation is planning a plot to influence the results of the presidential election in Moldova in the fall of 2024.
The information was released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Canada.
"Today we want to address the Kremlin's actions in Moldova. President Maia Sandu and the Moldovan security services have warned that the Kremlin is seeking to undermine Moldova's democratic institutions ahead of the October presidential election and referendum on Moldova's path to EU membership. We share President Maia Sandu's serious concern about the Kremlin's use of criminal groups to finance political activities and undermine Moldova's democratic institutions," the statement reads.
The governments of the three countries emphasize that Russia is now supporting presidential candidates in Moldova and exacerbating social tensions. These Russian candidates are actively using disinformation and propaganda on the Internet, on the air and on the streets to achieve their goals.
They are campaigning to criticize the government and political party of the current president of Moldova in order to incite protests.
"If Russia's interference in Moldova's elections fails, there is reason to believe that Moscow will work to incite protests. Russia's political interference in Moldova on the eve of the October elections goes back to previous years. For example, for several years, employees of the state-owned RT media outlet have been involved in providing direct support to fugitive Moldovan Ilan Shor with the consent of the Russian government. All three of our governments have imposed sanctions on Shor for his destabilizing electoral activities," the governments said.
Earlier, Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihai Popschiu said that the Moldovan authorities do not intend to authorize the opening of polling stations in the Russian presidential election in the Transnistrian region.
Earlier, experts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said that Russia may try to justify its aggression or destabilization efforts in Moldova by claiming that the residents of Transnistria are in danger due to Moldova's alleged refusal to engage in a settlement process in the region.
Earlier, ISW stated that the Kremlin is likely creating information conditions to justify future Russian aggression in Moldova under the guise of protecting its "countrymen abroad" and the "Russian world" - concepts that are deliberately based on vague definitions of ethnic Russians and Russian speakers in foreign countries.
Кирило Бойко