Latest news with #Recean
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First Post
a day ago
- Politics
- First Post
Putin wants puppet govt in Moldova to deploy troops in breakaway region Transnistria, warns PM
Moldova's Prime Minister Dorin Recean has warned that Vladimir Putin wants to install a puppet government in the country so it can strengthen Russia's hold on the breakaway region of Transnistria. read more Vladimir Putin wants to install a puppet government in Moldova so it can strengthen Russia's hold on the breakaway region of Transnistria, the country's premier has warned. Moldova is sandwiched between Ukraine to the north, east, and south, and Romania to the west. Its border region of Transnistria has been controlled by a pro-Russia regime since 1990. With the Russian backing, the separatists fought and won a brief war with Moldova in 1992. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ahead of elections in the country in September, Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean has told Financial Times that Putin is interfering in the country's politics so that he could replace the pro-European Union (EU) government with a pro-Russia, puppet government. If such a puppet government is elected, Putin would deploy 10,000 soldiers in Transnistria, said Recean. 'This is a huge effort to undermine Moldovan democracy' Recean has said that Putin's plot is a bid to undermine Moldova's democracy. 'This is a huge effort to undermine Moldovan democracy. They want to consolidate their military presence in the Transnistrian region,' said Reacan. Since 1992, when Russia intervened in favour of the separatist regime, its soldiers have been stationed in Transnistria. The number, however, is relatively small and it is not easy to deploy more soldiers as the region is landlocked and has no direct road link to Russia. Recean further said, 'You can imagine with 10,000 troops, what the leverage and pressure would be on the south-western part of Ukraine, but also close to Romania, which is a Nato member state.' Russia has long had eyes on Moldova This is not the first time that Russian interference has been reported in Moldova, formerly a part of the Soviet Union. In last year's referendum about the European Union (EU) membership, unprecedented Russian interference was reported in the form of propaganda dissemination, buying people's votes, and subversive activities like cyberattacks. A narrow majority of people voted to make way for Moldova's EU membership. The process to join the EU began last year and is expected to be completed by 2028-29. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD For years, analysts have warned that Moldova could be the next target of Russian aggression after Ukraine as it is a former Soviet republic in Russia's extended neighbourhood and is neither a member of Nato nor the EU. This means the country has no external security blanket like some other countries in Russia's neighbourhood or extended neighbourhood, such as Finland and Romania. Moreover, unlike Ukraine, Moldova has a very small and poorly armed and trained military that is unlikely to withstand any invasion. The country is therefore considered a soft target for Russia.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia seeks to deploy 10000 troops to Transnistria and potentially undermine election, Moldovan PM Recean says
Russia aims to deploy 10,000 troops to Transnistria and install a pro-Kremlin government in Moldova to enable it, Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean told the Financial Times in an interview published June 4. 'They want to consolidate their military presence in the Transnistrian region,' Recean said, adding that Russia's goal is to increase leverage not only near Ukraine's southwest but also close to NATO member Romania. Although Russia has maintained a limited military presence in Transnistria since the 1990s, only 1,000-1,500 troops remain today. 'Currently, their forces there are almost meaningless,' Recean noted. However, he warned that a Russia-leaning government in Chisinau could authorize a buildup, citing Moldovan intelligence estimates for the 10,000-troop target. Recean accused Russia of meddling in Moldova's upcoming parliamentary elections through propaganda, illegal financing, and 'spending the equivalent of 1% of Moldova's GDP' on influence operations in 2024. He said Moldovan authorities had intercepted citizens carrying large sums of Russian cash and discovered that 130,000 voters in the previous election received money from Russian sources. 'This is a huge effort to undermine Moldovan democracy,' Recean said, affirming that Moldova remains committed to becoming an EU member.' The Kremlin has not publicly responded to these allegations. Transnistria is a Russia-controlled breakaway region of Moldova that Moscow occupied in the early 1990s under the pretext of protecting the Russian population. The region borders Ukraine's Odesa Oblast and is internationally recognized as part of Moldova. Read also: Polish PM Tusk blames Russian hackers for cyberattacks ahead of presidential election We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Moldovan PM: Russia wants pro-Kremlin government in Chișinău and 10,000 troops in Transnistria
Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean has stated that Russia seeks to deploy 10,000 troops in the separatist Transnistria region of Moldova and to establish a pro-Kremlin government in Chișinău. Source: Recean in an interview with the Financial Times, as reported by European Pravda Details: The prime minister said Russia is interfering in Moldova's parliamentary elections, scheduled for the end of September 2025, hoping that the future government will be more sympathetic to Moscow and will allow a larger Russian military presence in Transnistria. "This is a huge effort to undermine Moldovan democracy… They want to consolidate their military presence in the Transnistrian region," Recean said. He stated that the estimate of 10,000 troops that Russia could deploy in Transnistria is based on intelligence from Moldovan security services. "Currently, their forces there are almost meaningless. But with a higher military presence in Transnistria that a Russia-leaning government can allow for, they can consolidate," Recean warned. "You can imagine with 10,000 troops, what the leverage and pressure would be on the southwestern part of Ukraine. But also close to Romania, which is a NATO member state," the Moldovan prime minister added. Background: Estimates suggest there are currently about 1,500 troops sporting the Russian flag in Transnistria, most of whom are local residents. Moldova consistently maintains that the presence of Russian troops in Transnistria is illegal and Chișinău expects their unconditional withdrawal. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia spends nearly $220 million to rig Moldova's election, EU referendum in 2024, Chisinau says
Russia spent nearly 200 million euros ($220 million) to buy votes in the Moldovan presidential race and the EU referendum in 2024, Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said at a briefing on April 2, Reuters reported. Recean's statement comes after the U.K. imposed sanctions on the pro-Russian NGO "Eurasia," which is allegedly responsible for attempts to rig the referendum in Moldova and destabilize the country's democracy. According to Moldovan law enforcement agencies, fugitive pro-Russian oligarch Ilan Shor and his associates led the efforts to bribe voters. The U.K. Foreign Ministry said the "Eurasia" network was under Shor's control. "The Kremlin's agents launched a mass vote-buying campaign, spending about 200 million euros — almost 1% of Moldova's GDP — to destabilize our country," Recean said. Voters were almost evenly divided on Oct. 21 on a referendum to enshrine the country's path to European Union accession in the Moldovan Constitution. Pro-EU voters won by a razor-thin margin, securing 50.35% of the vote against 49.65%. In the presidential election, incumbent pro-EU President Maia Sandu won against former prosecutor Alexandr Stoianoglo on Nov. 3 by a margin of about 55.3% to 44.7% despite what she called an "unprecedented" election interference backed by Moscow. Moldovan authorities, independent observers, and officials from the EU and the U.S. pointed to a malign influence campaign involving criminal networks and political groups tied to Russia. Moldovan lawmakers claimed that Moscow spent millions of dollars backing Stoianoglo. Sandu has long insisted that the real opponent to her government and Moldova's European path is the Kremlin, which has been waging a hybrid war designed to push Chisinau back into Moscow's orbit in what Sandu described "a fraud of unprecedented proportions." Read also: Putin issued a decree. Now, millions of Ukrainians face an impossible decision We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Moldova wants Russia to withdraw troops from Transnistria as part of peace negotiations with Ukraine
Moldova's Prime Minister Dorin Recean believes that Russia can withdraw its troops from Transnistria as part of negotiations on Ukraine and European security. Source: European Pravda, citing Jurnal TV, a Moldovan TV channel Details: The Moldovan prime minister was asked what conditions would be necessary for Russia to withdraw its illegally stationed troops from the country. Quote: "There is now an international context that could lead to Russia withdrawing its troops from the left bank of the Dniester as part of this negotiation process. It may not necessarily happen within a peace negotiation process – that is hard to imagine in the near future – but rather as part of negotiations concerning Ukraine and the new EU security architecture." More details: Moldova will insist on bringing this issue to the negotiating table, he added. Recean believes that any negotiations currently related to peace or a ceasefire in Ukraine are, in essence, about a new security architecture in Europe. Background: Transnistria, where Russian troops have been illegally stationed for over 30 years in violation of Moldova's sovereignty, remains a source of regional tension. Moldova's President Maia Sandu previously stated that she hopes for a "geopolitical opportunity" to resolve the Transnistrian conflict. Support UP or become our patron!
