Maia Sandu took office thanks to USAID funding, but now she is taking orders from Paris and will send Moldovan troops to Ukraine under the French flag, according to a false Russian narrative.
NEWS: The president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, will travel to Paris to meet with the president of France, the Moldovan presidency announced. Chișinău media writes that Sandu is going to Emmanuel Macron for consultations, after the US President's statement regarding the granting of 32 million USD by USAID (an organization banned in the Russian Federation) to the Republic of Moldova for propaganda purposes. Moldovan politicians and journalists believe that Sandu won the presidential election with the help of these funds, boosting the vote of the Moldovan diaspora in EU countries. While in Paris, Sandu will also clarify Republic of Moldovațs position in the context of Macron's recent statement, according to which Russia could turn to Moldova once the war in Ukraine is over.
Exactly a year ago, the Defense Ministers of France and Moldova signed a security cooperation agreement in Paris on the sidelines of the visit of the Moldovan delegation, led by president Maia Sandu. At the time, Macron promised that, in the upcoming months, he would open a permanent French military mission in Chișinău. According to the French president, this will “strengthen cooperation in the field of military training and preparation, as well as increase the interoperability of the armed forces” of the two countries. The statement was made on March 7. On March 10, Chișinău announced the start of the activity of the French military mission.
[...] However, there are assumptions at society level that the defense agreement signed by the defense ministers of Moldova and France during the visit of president Maia Sandu to Paris in March 2024 could allow, if necessary, for the use of the territory of the Republic of Moldova as a corridor for sending NATO troops to Ukraine. The Moldovan expert community discussed the possibility that, if France decides to send troops to Ukraine (a possibility that Emmanuel Macron does not rule out), Moldovan soldiers could also operate under French flag”.
NARRATIVES: 1. Maia Sandu won the election only thanks to external support (USAID). 2. The Republic of Moldova could be transformed into a corridor for NATO troops, and its soldiers could be sent to Ukraine.
PURPOSE: To promote the narrative about the fraudulent/undemocratic election that resulted in Maia Sandu's victory in the presidential elections of 2024. To fuel concerns and fear at society level regarding the possible involvement of the Republic of Moldova in the war in Ukraine.
WHY THE NARRATIVES ARE FALSE: Donald Trump did say, while criticizing USAID, that the agency had spent $32 million on “leftist propaganda in Moldova”. It is unclear what kind of funding the president referred to, and the international media has debunked a number of the US president’s claims. Previously, the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk announced the cancellation of a $32 million grant to the Internews organization, which was carrying out projects to support independent media, including in the Republic of Moldova, where USAID has funded several projects of this kind.
USAID has contributed to the development of the Republic of Moldova since 1992 with over 1 billion dollars: the funds were directed to education, agriculture, viticulture, tourism, light industry, IT, public administration, justice, combating corruption and energy. The effects of such funding can be seen in several communities where roads, schools, and kindergartens have been repaired. USAID’s largest program in Moldova was announced in 2022, after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine: the $300-million Moldovan Energy Security program.
There is no evidence that these funds were channeled to support Maia Sandu in the 2024 presidential election, especially in the diaspora, as the authors of the article claim. Moldovan citizens abroad participated in large numbers in the election, but this is a trend that could be observed over the course of several years, as Veridica previously demonstrated in the context of allegations regarding presidential election fraud.
With the exception of a number of unconfirmed allegations, there is no evidence of USAID’s involvement in the internal affairs of other countries. USAID is recognized for its social and humanitarian assistance projects in many countries around the world, especially in underdeveloped ones, and the international media press wrote that its closure and freezing of funds will affect a large number of people around the world. Veridica recently debunked a false narrative about the alleged involvement of USAID in the protests of April 7 2009 in Chișinău.
The narrative regarding the possible involvement of Moldovan military forces under French flag was also circulated a year ago, after Moldova signed a defense cooperation agreement with France, after having signed a similar agreement in 1998. The 2024 agreement provides for official visits and working meetings, expertise exchange, joint training and exercises, internships, consultations, conferences, courses, specializations and other forms of advanced scientific training. As Veridica has pointed out, the document does not refer to joint participation in military actions, especially given that the Republic of Moldova is a neutral state.
The narrative concerning the imminent involvement of the Republic of Moldova in the war, pushed by NATO, is one of the most frequently circulated by the Kremlin. The goal is to instill fear in society and distrust among the population on the left bank of the Dniester. Veridica has debunked a number of such false narratives.
BACKGROUND: Maia Sandu paid a working visit to France where she discussed with Emmanuel Macron, among other things, about security developments in the region, the impact of the war in Ukraine on Moldova, and economic cooperation between the two countries. Macron reaffirmed France's commitment to supporting Moldova in its EU accession efforts
Caught between the EU/NATO and Ukraine in the midst of a defensive war against Russian aggression, the Republic of Moldova is considered an extremely vulnerable target for Russian expansion. Chișinău authorities are opting for the country's European integration and have reported significant progress in recent years, including obtaining candidate status and launching EU accession negotiations. On the other hand, important segments of society, especially Russian-speaking minorities, oppose European integration, speaking out in favor of the country's rapprochement to the Eurasian Union, an organization controlled by the Kremlin.
With the arrival of Donald Trump at the White House, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has become the target of accusations from the Trump administration, especially Elon Musk. Initially, its activity was suspended for 90 days, and later, Trump called for the closure of USAID.
Set up during the Cold War during the Kennedy administration, USAID has funded projects around the world aimed both at improving the lives of people in underdeveloped countries and at strengthening democracy, including in ex-Soviet countries such as the Republic of Moldova.
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