A good relationship with Ukraine is detrimental to Moldova, which has nothing to gain from this relationship. On the contrary, the country will lose out on this relationship, as Kiev and the West are trying to use it in their dispute with the Russian Federation, and there’s even a risk that the conflict in Transnistria will be reignited. These narratives have been launched by two publications affiliated with the PSRM and the Kremlin against the background of the dialogue between Chisinau and Kiev getting more intense.
NEWS: BreakingNews claims in an editorial that the Republic of Moldova is following Ukraine's scenario and the anti-Russian foreign policy path: “What can this country, torn by an internal territorial conflict, buried in corruption and which went as far as to quarrel with its Western and European mentors, has to offer Moldova? ”
The publication hints at the visit to Chisinau of the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for the reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories, Oleksii Reznikov. “The MFA of Ukraine too believes that Ukraine's experience in resolving territorial conflicts could be useful to Moldova. In ordinary language this would translate into something like: you have PMR, we have Donbas, we teach you how to take the bull by the horns, as there is too much peace on the left bank of the Dniester, isn’t it?”
At the same time, the publication denounces Moldova's participation in the “Crimea Platform”. “... What followed was predictable. All delegates condemned the “annexation of Crimea” and termed Russia as almost the only security threat in the region. At the end, a protocol was signed on which the signature of the President of the Republic of Moldova was also applied. The anti-Russian course of Moldovan foreign policy has taken shape ".
The quoted source claims that Ukraine is an unreliable partner for Brussels, and President Maia Sandu's friendship with Kiev is not pragmatic: “Kiev's appetite, which claims more and more money “for the fight against the Russian threat” is starting to irritate Brussels. Nervousness and disappointment are also felt at the White House, where clear voices are heard as saying that Kiev is exceeding the limits of diplomatic decency. But Volodymyr Zelensky's administration stubbornly refuses to understand this. Despite all European integration efforts, Ukraine is openly viewed in the EU as an unreliable partner” [...]. “The recent visit paid by Zelenski to Chisinau, to attend the August 27th events, didn’t help much either. No later than September 1, Kiev imposed a ban on the entry into Ukraine of cars with Transnistrian registration numbers ".
Sputnik.md also comments in an editorial that the “Sandu-Zelenski friendship is detrimental to Moldova. Because it does not come to solve the problems that the Republic of Moldova has in relation to Ukraine, it is only used by Ukraine and the West in their skirmish with the Russian Federation. The West needs Moldova to show that this country too is in line with its stand and policy towards Russia (in the Ukrainian issue, and the Crimea Platform in which Moldova took part is the most telling example), namely: the West (here we include Ukraine) is right, and Russia is not. What does Moldova have of all this? Nothing but the fact that they are ruining their relations with the Russian Federation absolutely for free, especially now that we are on the verge of winter and gas prices have skyrocketed. Let's not forget the Moldovan exports to Russia”.
NARRATIVES: 1. The Republic of Moldova follows the scenario that has brought Ukraine into the current situation. 2. Moldova's friendship with Ukraine will prove detrimental to Chisinau, which risks a renewed conflict in Transnistria. 3. Maia Sandu's participation in the meeting dedicated to the Crimea Platform outlined the anti-Russian path of Moldova’s foreign policy. 4. Ukraine and the West want to use Chisinau in their dispute with the Russian Federation. 5. The West needs Moldova to show that it is in line with its anti-Russian policy.
CONTEXT: The Relations between Chisinau and Kiev have intensified with the coming to power of a new pro-European administration in the Republic of Moldova, after a period of coldness during Igor Dodon's term as president. He even stated, in the 2016 presidential election campaign, that the Crimean peninsula belonged to the Russian Federation. The statement then provoked criticism in Kiev, and some deputies from the Verkhovna Rada even demanded that Igor Dodon be declared persona non grata. During his term as president, Dodod never visited Kiev.
Maia Sandu's first visit abroad as head of state was to Kiev, on January 12, 2021. In August, Maia Sandu attended the Inaugural Summit of the Crimea Platform, which took place in Kiev, and a few days later, President Volodymyr Zelensky, together with Prime Minister Denis Smigal, came to Chisinau for the events dedicated to the Independence Day of the Republic of Moldova. The heads of the two states also met in July in Batumi, where they signed with the President of Georgia and the President of the European Council a declaration on strengthening the relations of the three countries with the EU.
Chisinau and Kiev have to solve several common issues that have accumulated during the three decades since the two states declared their independence - from the Transnistrian issue, the control of the Moldovan-Ukrainian border on the Transnistrian segment and the Dniester River, to the assets owned by the Republic of Moldova on the territory of Ukraine (sanatoriums, leisure centers, etc.), but also trade issues, movement of citizens issues, and so on.
At the same time, the two states have common interests that they are trying to promote together, such as European integration, regional security, and the fight against corruption. The Republic of Moldova and Ukraine are part of the Eastern Partnership, a European Union support program for the former Soviet republics. Both states have signed Association and Free Trade Agreements with the European Union and benefit from a liberalized visa regime with the EU Member States.
Following the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and the outbreak of the Donbas war, Kiev changed its approach to the Transnistrian separatist region to one more similar to that of Chisinau. At the same time, Kiev is trying to build regional platforms that would help its complicated relationship with Moscow. This is how the Crimea Platform was launched, an international consultation and communication mechanism for the recovery of the Russian-occupied peninsula of Ukraine. Maia Sandu also participated in the event, which brought together representatives of 46 states. On the other hand, the Russian Federation is interested in destructuring these attempts by Ukraine
PURPOSE: The narratives aim to thwart the development of relations between Chisinau and Kiev. At the same time, against the background of the Russian-Ukrainian war and the annexation of Crimea by Russia, attempts are being made to prevent the construction of regional security platforms between the countries that have been victims of Russian aggression.
WHY THE NARRATIVES ARE FALSE: The bilateral cooperation between Chisinau and Kiev is very important for the Republic of Moldova and has a complex character. Chisinau needs good relations with Kiev, because the Moldovan-Ukrainian case contains several issues and problems that the two countries must solve. Boosting dialogue could lead to the gradual resolution of some issues after a period of stagnation. Thus, the statement that the relations with Kiev are detrimental to Chisinau is false. As for Transnistria, the attempt to resolve this conflict, which, like the more recent one in Donbas, also started with Russia's support three decades ago, does not mean that the war is re-erupting. Ukraine has only signaled that it understands the situation in this separatist region after having its own problems in the east, given that until then it has tolerated and even encouraged the Tiraspol regime, which is not recognized by the international community. Any real settlement in Transnistria also needs the support of Ukraine, given that the separatist region lies between it and the Dniester.
At the same time, good relations between Chisinau and Kiev do not mean that they are directed against Russia. President Maia Sandu's participation in the Crimea Platform Summit does not mean that the Republic of Moldova pursues an anti-Russian foreign policy. The Republic of Moldova and Ukraine are both interested in stabilizing, not destabilizing regional security. After the annexation of Crimea and the Donbas war, Kiev and Chisinau have a closer approach to the Transnistrian issue, but this does not mean anti-Russian rhetoric. The Russian Federation has launched and supported the conflicts and secessionist regimes in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova and in Donbas, in eastern Ukraine. The Republic of Moldova is not interested in damaging its relations with the Russian Federation, on the contrary, the new government has called for a pragmatic and predictable dialogue with Moscow and in the interest of the citizens.
Brussels has never said that Ukraine is an unreliable partner. One of the main bottlenecks in the relationship with the European Union is corruption, and the fight against corruption is the EU's main requirement for both Kiev and Chisinau. The high level of corruption has led to a cessation of financial assistance and limited the ability of these countries to attract investment.
GRAIN OF TRUTH: The ties between Chisinau and Kiev became stronger thanks to president Maia Sandu.
THE NARRATIVES BENEFIT: the Kremlin and the pro-Russia parties in Chisinau.
