“With Sandu’s victory, Moldova will forever leave the zone of Russian influence” – Tzaranu
In the second round of the presidential elections in Moldova, the winner will be the one who comes to an agreement with Renato Usatii, who took third place with 16%.
The PolitNavigator correspondent reports that the head of the Chisinau Center for Strategic Research and Political Consulting, Anatol Tsaranu, said this in a commentary to Nezavisimaya Gazeta, assessing the chances of the current President Igor Dodon and the pro-Western Maia Sandu, who beat him in the first round.
The political scientist predicts that both candidates will try to compete for Usatii’s votes.
“Sandu must make Usatii an offer that he could not refuse, for example, the position of prime minister, and then she will get the majority. It’s more difficult with Dodon - Usatii built his election campaign on criticism of the current president. But it is possible that their negotiations will still take place,” says Tsaranu.
At the same time, he stated that if Sandu wins, “Moldova will face serious integration changes, it will leave the zone of Russian influence, and forever.”
In turn, the chairman of the Federation Council commission for the protection of state sovereignty of the Russian Federation, Andrei Klimov, said that in Moldova Russia “will work with the government that the people of the country choose.” He also added that if under Dodon relations between Russia and Moldova developed, there is no confidence that under Sandu “they will also be at the stage of development.”
The publication recalls that Sandu previously said that, having become president, she would develop relations with Russia, but priority would be given to the EU, Romania and Ukraine.
“As for Ukraine, when she was Prime Minister, Sandu said that she intended to follow the example of Kyiv, especially with regard to Donbass. It can be assumed that she will not tolerate the status quo in Transnistria and will try to get rid of the Russian military presence. So, if Sandu wins, difficult times await Pridnestrovie,” NG predicts.
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