Moldovan President Maia Sandu on Monday accused Russia of spending “hundreds of millions of euros” to subvert her country’s parliamentary election this weekend.
“The Kremlin is pouring hundreds of millions of euros to buy hundreds of thousands of votes on both banks of the Nistru river and abroad,” she said. “People are intoxicated daily with lies. Hundreds of individuals are paid to provoke disorder, violence, and spread fear.
“If Russia gains control over Moldova, the consequences will be immediate and dangerous for our country and for the entire region. Every Moldovan will suffer, no matter who they voted for,” she added, citing risks to regional stability, European funding and free movement.Earlier on Monday, the Moldovan police conducted massive raids across the country targeting people suspected of preparing Russia-backed disorder. Moldova’s parliamentary election will be held on Sunday, Sept. 28.
Sandu, leader of the EU-allied Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), had previously cautioned in July about Moscow’s “unprecedented” efforts to interfere in the September parliamentary election.
In August, Moldova’s National Security Adviser Stanislav Secrieru told POLITICO that Russia had ramped up efforts to influence Moldovans living abroad across Europe in an attempt to manipulate the election. The tactics, he explained, include creating copycat fake outlets and using them to disseminate false reports.
“Russia’s election meddling in Moldova is not just disinformation, cyberattacks, or vote buying. Moscow is also training and directing violence,” Secrieru said on Monday.
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