Moldova, like Ukraine, submitted its application for membership in the European Union in 2022. About half a year ago, in December 2023, the leaders of the European Union decided to start accession negotiations.
During this time, Moldova also announced that it plans to end its active involvement in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which could be described as a training ground where Russia spreads its propaganda and maintains influence in post-Soviet countries, especially in Central Asia.
Moldova is afraid of economic collapse
It can be observed that Moldova’s desire to move closer to the European Union and distance itself from Russia has angered Moscow. One of the disinformation narratives, for example in the Internet media, is that Moldova’s intention to withdraw from the CIS will result in a complete economic collapse.
Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe, and Russia stresses that the move will worsen the already low standard of living.
“Why would the Moldovan government do this to its own country? It is completely irrational to act against the interests of one’s country,” Kremlin propaganda claims.
Russia adds to this by saying that the European Union will treat Moldova as a “second-class” country, as is already happening with Romania.
It should be noted that the mention of Romania here is not accidental, because Moldova is a neighbor of Romania, both countries have a common history.
Kremlin portrays Moldova as ‘failed state’
The Kremlin claims that Moldova is simply trying to please the West and is its puppet. According to the myth created by the propaganda, the Moldovan government is indecisive, incompetent and in principle acting completely senseless when it is ready to sacrifice its welfare at the behest of the West. In addition, it suggests that the alliance with Russia is the right choice from an economic perspective, and it is also permeated with the assumption that Moldova cannot exist as an “independent” country.
Respectively, it needs support, and Russia can provide such support, but it cannot be expected from Europe. In the eyes of Europe, Moldova will be just such a failed vassal state.
The problem is that Russia spreads this disinformation through many different channels.
Also, a frequently spread disinformation message about Latvia is that we are a failed country. Allies such as NATO and the European Union are keeping the Baltic states afloat.
On the other hand, it is also claimed that the NATO alliance is too weak to protect the Baltic states, or that membership in the European Union harms the member economies. However, these contradictions do not confuse Russian disinformation distributors – Latvia should simply change the course of its foreign policy and reorient itself towards stronger geopolitical players – of course, as Russia positions itself.
Moscow repeats the fiction of the “resurgence of fascism”
How does this relate to May 9?
Last year, Moldova’s ruling Party of Action and Solidarity submitted a bill to change the name of Victory Day, as well as move its celebration to May 8, a day earlier. It was Moldova’s own choice, not an imposed obligation from Europe, as Russian propagandists try to tell. In Western Europe, this date marks the end of the Second World War, or the day of the defeat of Nazism, and the day of remembrance for the victims of the Second World War.
As can be read in the draft law, its purpose is to bring Moldova closer to the Western community and dispel the assumption that the Second World War ended only thanks to Russia. Such an association is common precisely in connection with May 9.
The Soviets used May 9 to strengthen the legitimacy of their regime. The Russian government is now also using this technique, but as a different kind of propaganda tool.
Moldova has decided to hold Europe Day celebrations on May 9 this year, organizing them in cooperation with the European Union delegation. This has also been reported by the pro-European president of Moldova, Maija Sandu. In April, disinformation was spread quite actively that Moldova was forced to do this by the European Union. It is interesting that the Kremlin media portrays the European Union as the masters who come to Moldova and install the government. In addition, Russia points out that Europe can say that this day is dedicated to peace and unity – but it is not! -, Europe does not want any peace, and this is said to be just a cover for the “rebirth of fascism”.
Here, too, there is a clear assumption that if Victory Day is not celebrated in the way that suits Moscow, then this is equivalent to support for fascism. Because it is not true that Moldova has given up commemorating those who died in the Second World War. On a larger scale, this false information belongs to a group of Russian disinformation narratives that purport to herald the resurgence of fascism in Europe.
Moldova is worried about a repeat of the Ukraine scenario
Moldova includes the self-proclaimed Transnistrian Moldovan Republic, which was established in 1990. Since 1992, Russian soldiers have been stationed in this territory, according to current estimates, about 1,500. Russia itself, however, calls them “peacekeepers”.
Transnistria uses Russian as one of its official languages. It has retained its Soviet-era flag, which depicts the hammer and sickle. In 2006, Transnistria also held a referendum on its statehood, which was not recognized as legal.
Russia’s efforts to interfere in Moldova’s internal affairs are dangerously reminiscent of both the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the seizure of Luhansk and Donetsk regions in 2022.
It is important that the territory of Transnistria is located on the Moldovan border with Ukraine. In February of this year, Transnistrian politicians turned to Russia with a request to protect its territory from the pressure of the Moldovan government. Less well known, a little later, Moldova’s autonomous territory of Gagauzia took similar action, claiming that the Moldovan government was restricting their rights as well.
This is significant because since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, fears have grown that neighboring Moldova will be next in Moscow’s bid to regain control of the former Soviet republics.
Tags: Moldova celebrate Europe Russia annoyed Kremlin propagandists Article
-
