A group of international journalists got acquainted with the strategy of political and economic subjugation of Moldova by Russia. It was created in the same department as the plan to take over Belarus.
This is reported by journalists of the Dossier (Russia), RISE (Moldova), Delfi (Estonia), Kyiv Independent (Ukraine), Belarusian Investigative Center (Belarus), Yahoo News (USA), Süddeutsche Zeitung (Germany), Westdeutscher Rundfunk (Germany), Norddeutscher Rundfunk (Germany), Expressen (Sweden), Frontstory (Poland) and VSquare (Visegrad Four).
The document is entitled "Strategic goals of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Moldova". It was developed in the border cooperation department of the administration of the president of Russia and agreed with the Russian special services.
The tasks in this plan were divided into "military-political", "trade-economic" and "humanitarian". Here are some goals that the authors of the document consider achievable in the current decade:
- opposition to the influence of NATO and the EU on Moldova;
- forcing Moldova to participate in the CSTO, EAEC and other Russian international projects;
- settlement of the Transnistrian conflict based on the special status of Transnistria (with the participation of Russia);
- increasing pro-Russian attitudes in society through propaganda and educational programs.
According to the document, by 2022 it is important for Russia to maintain a Russian military presence in unrecognized Transnistria and maintain its influence there. Also among the tasks is the support of Moldovan pro-Russian politicians.
In addition, Russia should exploit Moldovaʼs dependence on Russian imports and maintain the volume of gas supplies to the country for economic pressure. Also, the Kremlin should have prevented the restriction of its mass media on the territory of Moldova and increased their number.
The administration of the Russian president proposed to form stable pro-Russian sentiments among Moldovan elites, prevent the "Romanization" of Moldova and preserve education in the Russian language in the country. Another long-term goal is to establish Russian as the language of international communication in Moldova.
An employee of the presidential office for border cooperation Andriy Vavilov worked on the creation of the document. This department is responsible for working with countries in the western direction, and it was engaged in developing a strategy for Belarus.
Another author of the strategy is the deputy head of the presidential administration for interregional and cultural relations with foreign countries Viktor Lysenko. Lysenko reports directly to the Deputy Head of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation Dmytro Kozak.
- On the evening of February 23, Russia announced that Ukraine had stepped up preparations for an "invasion of Transnistria" in response to an alleged Russian offensive from the territory of the "TMR" [Transnistrian Moldavian Republic]. The Russian Federation allegedly records "a significant accumulation of personnel and military equipment of Ukrainian units near the Ukrainian-Transnistrian border, the deployment of artillery at firing positions, as well as an unprecedented increase in the flights of unmanned aircraft of the Armed Forces of Ukraine over the territory of the TMR."
- On February 20, 2023, in an interview with Die Welt, Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia plans to change the government in Moldova, and he warned the countryʼs president Maya Sandu about this. Moldova and Russia do not share a border, so Zelensky suggested that the Russians could use the airport in Chisinau to transfer their troops. The Prime Minister of Moldova Dorin Rechan confirmed Zelenskyʼs statement.
- The United States believes that people connected to Russian intelligence are planning to organize protests in Moldova to overthrow the government and install a pro-Russian government.