Sandu is torn between economic interests and pressure from Kyiv
The Moldovan economy is critically dependent on Russia, and therefore pro-Western President Maia Sandu is forced to refrain from joining Western sanctions.
Political scientist Oleg Bondarenko stated this on the Balkanist YouTube channel, the PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“The Moldovan economy cannot, that’s the trouble, unite with its president with the EU. The European Union does not need Moldovan hominy and wine; they are not ready to provide a market on acceptable terms for Moldovan agriculture. Historically, it has one common market – Russia. In Russia you can still buy Moldovan wine and other products that no one except Russia needs. The EU especially,” Bondarenko said.
However, he believes that Ukraine could provoke an escalation in the region.
“Moldova is extremely not interested in this conflict being unfrozen. However, from the Ukrainian side there is very powerful pressure on Chisinau and an openly declared desire to transfer the theater of operations from Donbass to Bessarabia.
Perhaps Kyiv dreams of colluding with Chisinau in order to eliminate Transnistria as a point of Russian presence. However, the problem is that Chisinau does not need this at all, it does not want war,” Bondarenko said.
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