Natalia Gavrilița, for Euronews: The situation in the Republic of Moldova depends on the developments of the war in Ukraine
Situation in the Republic of Moldova - in the spotlight of the European media. Visiting Brussels, Moldovan Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița was interviewed by Euronews. The Prime Minister spoke about the effects of the war in Ukraine, felt by Moldovan citizens, but also about the threats coming from the Russian Federation, as the Republic of Moldova is in a hybrid war with this country.
According to Euronews, the head of the executive in Chisinau also talked about Russia's hybrid war in Moldova.
"We see elements of hybrid warfare. We see, for example, attempts by pro-Russian forces to destabilise the situation in the country through paid protests, which quickly ended after the fugitive oligarchs in Moldova were put on sanctions lists and their financial sources were limited. We are seeing cyber attacks, one of which in 2022 was the largest in the country's history. We also see threats of being bombed," Gavrilița said.
An area of concern for Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița and the Moldovan authorities, according to Euronews, is the Transnistrian region where the conflict continues.
"We see the situation in the Transnistrian region, which is under the influence of separatists, as vulnerable but stable. We have always said that the situation in Moldova will depend on developments in the war in Ukraine. We see that Ukrainians are brave and resilient, they are fighting for the security not only of their country, but also for the security of Moldova in a broader sense, for the values that we, like Europeans, share", said Natalia Gavrilița.
Gavrilița pointed to the increase in illegal migration, Moldova being a transit country for refugees from Ukraine. According to the prime minister, the number of migrants is not very high, the important thing remains that it does not increase and migration does not become a permanent phenomenon.
The EU believes that Moldova is threatened by the risk of external invasion and points out Moldova's energy dependence on the Russian Federation. Last week, the EU agreed to provide €145 million in financial assistance to Moldova, Euronews reports.
