Russia prepares to incite protests in Moldova: US, Canada, and UK issue warning

Russia will attempt to incite protests in Moldova if a pro-Kremlin candidate does not win in the upcoming presidential elections in the fall, according to a joint statement by the governments of the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

“In defense of our shared democratic values, we are taking this step to warn our democratic partners and Allies that Russian actors are carrying out a plot to influence the outcomes of Moldova’s fall 2024 presidential election.  They intend to incite protests in Moldova should a pro-Russia candidate not win.  They seek to foment negative public perceptions of Western governments and Moldova’s incumbent leadership, while degrading public confidence in Moldova’s ability to secure itself and maintain rule of law,” the statement reads.

Currently, Russia is assisting pro-Russian candidates in the elections and instigating social conflicts. “Russian actors are actively using disinformation and propaganda online, on the air, and on the streets to further their objectives.  They are agitating criticism of the incumbent Moldovan president’s government and political party, in order to incite protests.  Part of these operations would include spreading lies about the incumbent president’s character and intentions, and about supposed electoral irregularities,” the governments’ representatives emphasized.

If Russia fails to achieve its desired outcome, the Kremlin will incite protests to destabilize Moldova. “Russia’s political interference in Moldova in the lead-up to the October election goes back years. For example, personnel of state-funded media outlet RT have been involved in providing direct support to fugitive Moldovan Ilan Shor [pro-Russian politician – ed.] for several years with Russian government assent. All three of our governments have sanctioned Shor for his destabilizing electoral activities,” the text states.

Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom “have full confidence in Moldova’s ability to manage these threats linked to the Kremlin’s interference. We are taking a range of measures to support those efforts as part of our partnership with Moldova and its people,” the statement concludes.

As a reminder, NATO confidentially and unofficially identified at least two “red lines” in May, crossing which could result in the Alliance’s direct intervention in the war in Ukraine, wrote the Italian newspaper la Repubblica. The second “red line” is a Russian military provocation against the Baltic countries or Poland, or a deliberate attack on Moldova.