“The Kremlin wants us back in its shadow,” Moldovan president Maia Sandu tells Romanian voters

Moldovan president Maia Sandu published a video encouraging Romanian citizens to vote in the parliamentary (December 1) and presidential (December 8) elections and to not believe “those who tell you that closer ties with the Kremlin bring peace and prosperity.”

Sandu pointed out in the video that the fate of Romania and that of the Republic of Moldova are closely intertwined. She recalled that her grandparents, born in Romania, would surely have gone to vote.

“For those who believe that Romania would be stronger and more prosperous without the European Union, look at the Republic of Moldova. See how much Romania has advanced over the past two decades and how hard it has been for Moldova to manage,” she said.

The president added that people should not believe those who claim that closeness to the Kremlin brings peace and prosperity.

“Now the Kremlin wants us back in its shadow. Do not believe those who tell you that closer ties with the Kremlin bring peace and prosperity. Look at what the Kremlin does to its neighbors: it blackmails them, bombs them, kills them. Look at what it does to its own citizens: imprisoning them simply for opposing the war or criticizing the authorities,” Sandu stated.

Her statements come after Romania’s Supreme Country Defense Council (CSAT) revealed during a meeting that “cyber attacks with the aim of influencing the correctness of the electoral process” took place during the first round of the Romanian presidential elections. The institution pointed to “some state and non-state actors, in particular the Russian Federation.” Romania, along with other states on NATO’s Eastern Flank, has become a priority for the hostile actions of some state and non-state actors, CSAT explained.

Maia Sandu, who holds Romanian citizenship as well along with over a million Moldovan citizens, said that Bucharest and Chișinău should reunite within the great European family.

“On December 1 and 8, we are going to vote again. We are choosing Romania's Parliament and President. I will also go to vote because I want a Romania that lives in peace, has a strong voice in the world, and ensures a high standard of living for all its citizens. [...] The Romanian people are free. I urge you to vote for a strong, European Romania, for a free country,” Maia Sandu concluded.

Maia Sandu, who made a name for herself as a pro-EU leader, won a second term