Latest news with #MaiaSandu
Euronews
3 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Brussels approves Poland's use of post-COVID funds for defence
A fake video has been posted on Russian Telegram channels, featuring Euronews' graphics and claiming that corruption has pushed Moldova to become one of the biggest black markets for arms sales. Euronews neither produced nor published this video. Our graphics and format were copied and used without our consent, and our teams are working to ensure the video is removed from all social platforms. It appeared in a Telegram channel called the "Military Observer" in Russian and has amassed more than 16,000 views at the time of writing. The video alleges that high levels of corruption in Moldova's armed forces mean that the country is now "the largest hub for the black market in weapons." Arms traffickers allegedly use Moldova as a buffer zone for the illegal export of weapons from Ukraine and distribute them elsewhere in Europe and beyond, according to the false video. It attributes a quote to Clara Staicu, Romania's secretary of state for European affairs, in which she supposedly calls Moldova "a perfect transit point for arms traffickers" due to its small size and widespread corruption. It also alleges that the situation has worsened over the past four years, during the presidency of Maia Sandu. The video strongly resembles a Euronews report, but its contents are false. It is unclear where any of the claims in the video supposedly come from and there appears to be no evidence for any of them. However, it is true that Interpol has previously expressed concern about weapons smuggling in Moldova linked to Russia's war in Ukraine. It has launched several initiatives to try and combat the black market of arms, including Project I-FORCE, which aims to bolster the capabilities of law enforcement agencies in Moldova and neighbouring countries to combat international organised crime. Additionally, Transparency International's most recent Corruption Perceptions Index ranks Moldova as one of the lowest in Europe for clean money, above only Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Hungary and Albania. The Moldova video follows hot on the heels of another fake video that was attributed to Euronews and spread online last week, alleging that Romania cautioned French authorities over interference in the Romanian presidential election runoff. Romanian and French authorities, as well as Euronews, all denounced that video and its contents as false. The Moldovan president's office, the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Interpol did not immediately respond to our requests for comment. We will update this article when we hear from them. The European Commission on Tuesday permitted Poland to repurpose nearly €6 billion in post-COVID funds to finance defence projects, when the college of commissioners endorsed the Polish request by written procedure. "Poland will be the first to invest billions from the KPO (National Recovery Plan) in security and defence. Successful negotiations paved the way, now other countries are trying to follow in our footsteps," Jan Szyszko, the country's secretary of state in the ministry of funds and regional policy, wrote on X following the Commission's decision. Warsaw was allocated nearly €60bn - of which 25.3 billion are grants - of the Commission's €650 billion plan Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) aimed at kickstarting COVID-stricken economies across the EU. But the facility, which came into force in early 2021, came with strings attached. The funds, doled out in both grants and loans, had to be poured into sectors and initiatives aimed at making the bloc's economy more resilient, sustainable, green, and digital; member states had to submit National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) outlining reforms and investments; the money had to be spent by the end of 2026. The funds however proved difficult for some member states to digest with bureaucratic bottlenecks, shifting political priorities, and high inflation further slowing the process. Member states were however allowed to submit revised plans, which is what Poland did on 30 January, in which it proposed the introduction of a new measure to create an Investment-Equity injection into the Security and Defence Fund. The Commission endorsed the measure, with a spokesperson telling Euronews that defence-related activities can align with the instrument's objective of promoting sustainable growth and enhancing the resilience of member states provided they do not violate the limitations outlined in Article 41(2) of the Treaty on the European Union. Article 41 regulates the financing of the Common Foreign and Security Policy, which includes the Union's defence policy. Paragraph 2 stipulates that expenditures resulting from measures with military or defence implications are expressly excluded from financing from the EU's budget. "RRF support for the defence sector may include financing the expansion of industrial capacity, the technological development of defence products, as well as investments that serve both civilian and military purposes, such as transport infrastructure," the Commission spokesperson also said. Defence has become a key priority for the EU following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine which starkly highlighted the deficiencies and dependencies of the European defence industrial base and the glaring gaps in the bloc's military capabilities. The Commission has put forward a plan to unlock hundreds of billions of euros into the defence sector to fill those gaps and turbocharge European defence manufacturing. The main financial firepowers of this 'Readiness 2030' plan reside in more fiscal flexibility for member states and Commission-issued loans for defence projects. But the EU executive is also backing repurposing funds from other EU programmes, such as cohesion funds, which aim to reduce economic and social disparities across the 27 member states. Meanwhile NATO allies, of which 23 are EU member states, are currently negotiating a revision to the alliance's defence spending target, currently set at 2% of GDP. Washington has called for a 5% target. French police have arrested around 20 people alleged to have been involved in a recent spate of kidnappings and kidnapping attempts against cryptocurrency bosses and their families. The arrests took place on Monday and Tuesday, according to media outlet Franceinfo. French media reported that half a dozen suspects were taken into custody on Tuesday in connection with the attempted kidnapping of the daughter of cryptocurrency boss Pierre Noizat earlier this month. The attack, which took place in broad daylight on 13 May, shocked France. Assailants were filmed trying to kidnap Noizat's pregnant daughter, who was out for a walk with her partner and their child. Tuesday's arrests came after a dozen other people were detained in the commune of Couëron, near the western French city of Nantes, on Monday. In response to the increasing number of violent attacks against cryptocurrency professionals and their families, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau convened an emergency meeting with industry leaders in mid-May. During the meeting, Retailleau outlined ways of ensuring their security, including a plan to give them access to special emergency contact numbers. "These serial kidnappings will be combated with specific tools, both immediate and short-term, to prevent, deter and hinder in order to protect the industry," Retailleau said after the meeting. "The entire state apparatus is fully mobilised to track down the perpetrators and instigators of this violence and put them out of action", he added.
Euronews
3 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
No, Euronews didn't publish a video about corruption in Moldova
A fake video has been posted on Russian Telegram channels, featuring Euronews' graphics and claiming that corruption has pushed Moldova to become one of the biggest black markets for arms sales. Euronews neither produced nor published this video. Our graphics and format were copied and used without our consent, and our teams are working to ensure the video is removed from all social platforms. It appeared in a Telegram channel called the "Military Observer" in Russian and has amassed more than 16,000 views at the time of writing. The video alleges that high levels of corruption in Moldova's armed forces mean that the country is now "the largest hub for the black market in weapons." Arms traffickers allegedly use Moldova as a buffer zone for the illegal export of weapons from Ukraine and distribute them elsewhere in Europe and beyond, according to the false video. It attributes a quote to Clara Staicu, Romania's secretary of state for European affairs, in which she supposedly calls Moldova "a perfect transit point for arms traffickers" due to its small size and widespread corruption. It also alleges that the situation has worsened over the past four years, during the presidency of Maia Sandu. The video strongly resembles a Euronews report, but its contents are false. It is unclear where any of the claims in the video supposedly come from and there appears to be no evidence for any of them. However, it is true that Interpol has previously expressed concern about weapons smuggling in Moldova linked to Russia's war in Ukraine. It has launched several initiatives to try and combat the black market of arms, including Project I-FORCE, which aims to bolster the capabilities of law enforcement agencies in Moldova and neighbouring countries to combat international organised crime. Additionally, Transparency International's most recent Corruption Perceptions Index ranks Moldova as one of the lowest in Europe for clean money, above only Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Hungary and Albania. The Moldova video follows hot on the heels of another fake video that was attributed to Euronews and spread online last week, alleging that Romania cautioned French authorities over interference in the Romanian presidential election runoff. Romanian and French authorities, as well as Euronews, all denounced that video and its contents as false. The Moldovan president's office, the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Interpol did not immediately respond to our requests for comment. We will update this article when we hear from them.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Moldova's president condemns Russia's brutal strike on Ukrainian cities
Moldovan President Maia Sandu has condemned a large-scale Russian attack on Ukrainian cities and villages on the night of 24-25 May, stating that such actions do not reflect the behaviour of a country seeking peace. Source: Sandu on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Details: In her post, Sandu expressed support for Ukraine. Quote: "367 drones and missiles. At least 12 dead. Dozens injured. This is not the behaviour of a country seeking peace – it's a deliberate escalation and a brutal attack on innocent lives. Moldova stands with Ukraine. The world must respond with massive support for Ukraine." Background: Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has called for the "strongest international pressure" on Russia after the latest large-scale attack. Following the attack, EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernová stated that Russia is mocking the international community and the US's efforts to achieve peace. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys called for a strong response to the overnight large-scale airstrike on Ukraine. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Russia Today
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Moldovan leader promises to join EU by 2028
Moldova's President Maia Sandu has said her country could join the EU by 2028, despite growing opposition to her pro-Western policy. The former Soviet republic has pursued EU and NATO membership since 2020, when Sandu, a vocal critic of Russia, came to power. Moldova was granted EU candidate status in 2022, alongside Ukraine. Re-elected last year in a contested and much debated runoff, Sandu has stepped up efforts to speed up the accession process. Asked during an interview on Monday with local broadcaster TV8 about the timeline, Sandu said she intended to conclude negotiations by the end of 2027. 'By 2028, we expect every EU member state to have ratified our agreements. That way we will complete the process by the end of the current European Commission's mandate,' Sandu said. The Commission's mandate, led by President Ursula von der Leyen, runs from December 2024 to December 2029. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said last month that Moldova's accession by 2028 depends on the pace of the country's reforms and unanimous support from the bloc's 27 members. Sandu's policy has drawn mounting criticism at home. This month, thousands of protesters rallied in the capital Chisinau over the country's economic direction and her government's handling of opposition voices. The demonstration, led by the Party of Socialists and its leader, former President Igor Dodon, was billed as the start of their parliamentary election campaign ahead of a vote expected in September. Sandu has said the upcoming elections will be decisive for Moldova's EU course. The Socialists, who refused to recognize Sandu's re-election, accused her government last month of 'an unprecedented act of spiritual terror' after a senior Moldovan Orthodox Church bishop was barred from traveling to Jerusalem for Easter. The Sandu administration has also been embroiled in longstanding political standoff with the autonomous region of Gagauzia. Her government, driven by a strong pro-European and anti-Russian vision, reportedly sees Gagauzia not just as an ideological outlier, but as a strategic challenge. The region's governor, Yevgenia Gutsul – a fierce critic of Sandu – was arrested in April amid an investigation into alleged irregularities in her 2023 campaign. Gutsul accused Chisinau of targeting Gagauzia in retaliation for its support of opposition figures, including herself. Opposition described Gutsul's arrest as a 'purely political persecution.' Sandu had claimed she was fighting against 'pro-Russian' actors within the country as she launched a crackdown on opposition parties and media outlets, branding them as criminals.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine's allies in EU ready to back Moldova if Orbán's veto persists, despite Ukraine's hopes
The European Union member states most supportive of Ukraine are not planning to block the start of EU accession negotiations with Moldova separately from Ukraine if Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán continues to veto the process for Kyiv. Source: European Pravda Details: European Pravda reported that despite Kyiv's hopes that "friends of Ukraine" in the EU would block the separation of the Ukraine–Moldova enlargement package, sources in Brussels and various capitals acknowledge that this will not happen. Even the states most sympathetic to Ukraine – such as the Baltic countries – are ready to support Moldova. "We are in a difficult position. Yes, we support Ukraine in the negotiations and we know that Ukraine would prefer to preserve the current package. But we also support Moldova and are helping them… We will not veto the start of negotiations with Moldova," explained an enlargement official from one of the Baltic states, speaking on condition of anonymity. The key reason Moldova will receive the green light to begin negotiations – with or without Ukraine – is the EU's attempt to support Maia Sandu ahead of Moldova's parliamentary elections on 28 September. The outcome will be decisive for the country's direction and strategically significant for Ukraine as well. Meanwhile, sources from Ukraine-friendly countries stress that they are preparing to significantly increase pressure on Hungary in an attempt to persuade Orbán to lift his veto against Ukraine before the EU summit on 26-27 June. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
