Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko expressed “horror” at the possibility of the Republic of Moldova and Romania unifying. He made the statement during a meeting with Moldova’s pro-Russian former president, Igor Dodon, on Monday, May 25.

During the meeting in Minsk, Lukashenko said he heard about the reunification scenario from statements made by Moldovan president Maia Sandu. 

“We hear from various sources that Moldova is ready to become almost part of another state. Honestly, I tell you, as a man in love with your country, I perceive this with horror. I would very much ask you and your supporters not to allow under any circumstances the destruction of such a flourishing and beautiful country as Moldova,” Lukashenko declared, according to NewsMaker.md.

The Belarusian dictator urged the Republic of Moldova not to break relations with the states with which it “has always found common ground” and recalled his 2018 visit to Chișinău, when he participated alongside Igor Dodon in an agricultural event near the Moldovan capital.

Lukashenko also proposed resuming the activity of the Moldovan-Belarusian bilateral cooperation commission and brought up the future Eurasian Economic Union summit.

In turn, Igor Dodon accused Maia Sandu of promoting “the idea of liquidating the Moldovan state” after an alleged failure of Moldova’s bid for EU membership.

“The current president, after realizing that there will be no European integration, that this path is a failure, and the current realities in Moldova demonstrate it, has begun to promote the idea of liquidating the Moldovan state. For us, this is a very serious problem,” Dodon declared.

Last month, Maia Sandu told Le Monde that reunification with Romania could accelerate her country’s accession to the European Union, while stressing that citizens must back such a decision. Sandu has been a strong advocate for the European integration of Moldova, as well as Ukraine and the Western Balkans, arguing that closer ties with the EU are essential to counter Russian pressure in the region.  

Part of the Romanian principality of Moldova during the Middle Ages, the territory that now makes up the Republic of Moldova was annexed by Tsarist Russia in 1812, beginning a process of Russification. Romania reintegrated the region after the First World War, but a resurgent USSR occupied the Republic of Moldova once again in 1940. After the Second World War, Romania and the Republic of Moldova were kept as separate countries by the Soviets, the latter being included in the USSR.

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Igor Dodon on Facebook)