Massive Pro-EU Rally In Moldova Amid Russian Invasion Fears
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
CHIȘINAU/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – A tense calm has returned to Moldova’s capital Chisinau, after a massive pro-European Union rally here over fears that Russia may invade the country after a similar move in nearby Ukraine.
The weekend rally, organized by Moldova’s President Maia Sandu, saw an estimated 75,000 people turning up to support Moldova’s EU membership bid.
Her pro-Western government accused Russia of stoking tensions by supporting Moldova’s pro-Russian opposition Sor party. Moscow denies meddling in the country’s affairs.
However, “We don’t want to be on the outskirts of Europe anymore,” Sandu told protesters, pledging that Moldova would become an EU member nation by 2030.
Moldova also “does not want to be blackmailed by the Kremlin,” she told the rally, where crowds waved EU flags and chanted pro-European slogans.
Previous Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita said recently that Moldova fears a possible Russian invasion. “We are worried, of course. This is a risk, it’s a hypothetical scenario for now, but if the military actions move further into the southwestern part of Ukraine and toward Odesa,” [this is possible], Gavrilita said.
“We are very worried, especially considering that troops are [already] on the territory of the secessionist Transnistria region [in Moldova]. We are doing everything possible to maintain peace and stability and to ensure that the fighting does not escalate,” she added.
Moldova, Europe’s poorest nation, was severely hit by the impact of Moscow’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine, which Chisinau has repeatedly condemned and applied to join the EU.
On a visit to Chisinau, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola also addressed the rally, saying Europe would welcome Moldova “with open arms and open hearts.”
Yet within the EU, there has been concern about the costs of further expanding the 27-nation bloc further eastwards, with countries such as Ukraine also knocking on Brussels’ doors.
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