Moldova’s President Maia Sandu said Monday that Russia planned to stage a coup d’état through opposition protests, infiltrating them with militarily trained personnel from countries such as Belarus, Serbia and Montenegro.
«The plan included sabotage and militarily trained people disguised as civilians to carry out violent actions, attacks on government buildings and taking hostages,» Sandu said at a press conference, where he stressed that this is not the first time Russia intends to undertake such actions in Moldova.
«Reports received from our Ukrainian partners indicate the locations and logistical aspects of organizing this subversive activity. The plan also envisages the use of foreigners for violent actions,» he said, according to the Moldovan news portal NewsMaker.
In this regard, Sandu said that in order to carry out his plan, Russia contacted some internal forces, such as the Russophile Socio-Political Republican Equality Movement (SOR), veterans and former agents and people known for their ties with Moscow, such as former deputy Vladimir Plahotniuc.
The aim, he explained, would be to «overturn the constitutional order» and change the legitimate power for one that would put the country «at Russia’s disposal» not only «to stop the process of European integration», but also «so that Moldova can be used by Russia in its war against Ukraine».
For this reason, Sandu has asked the Parliament to speed up as much as possible the deadlines for approving a series of bills that will provide the Prosecutor’s Office and the other authorities with the necessary tools «to fight more effectively the risks to the country’s security».
In turn, he stressed that «all those who participate in such actions and those who protect them must be held accountable» and warned the Kremlin that its attempts to «bring violence» «will not succeed».
These statements would confirm the warnings of the Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski, who last week during his visit to Brussels revealed to Sandu that they had intercepted a Russian plan to «destroy the democratic order in Moldova».
Later, the main opposition party, the Socialist Party of Moldova, denounced what it considered an «irresponsible statement» on the part of President Sandu and asserted that if the country’s Investigation and Security Service (SIS) has evidence of this alleged Russian plan, it should «present it to the public».
«If the SIS has evidence of this, it should present it to the public. Otherwise, such statements can be considered as a provocation aimed at bringing Moldova to a military conflict, causing hysteria in society, intimidating the opposition and intensifying political repression against all those dissatisfied within the country,» the Socialists have said in a statement.
Likewise, the Socialists – who together with the Communist Party form the BCS coalition in the Moldovan Parliament – have stressed that Sandu’s statements contradict the report presented by the U.S. State Department last Friday, which ruled out any risk for the national security of Moldova and Romania, both neighboring countries of Ukraine.
Thus, following the measures announced by the head of state, the BCS has warned that these steps pose a «threat to the rule of law» and move Moldova towards «the definitive establishment of a dictatorship.» «We urge the government to concentrate on solving the urgent problems of the country and society,» the formation has concluded.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
