Moldova protests to Russia over alleged Russian election meddling
- 14 November, 13:02
Moldova has handed a note of protest to Russian ambassador over Kremlin’s meddling into its recent elections. Moscow has denied such allegations.
The foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that the protest note to Ambassador Oleg Ozerov was over Russia’s “illegal and deliberate interference” into the presidential election and the referendum on joining the European Union. While receiving Ambassador Ozerov, the foreign ministry also complained that the Kremlin sought to affect results and delegitimise the democratic process.
Moscow has denied Chisinau’s accusations of meddling into its presidential election and the referendum on inserting a clause into the constitution, defining EU integration as the goal.
Russia has labelled the elections as unfair and does not recognize pro-Western Maia Sandu as the legitimate president. Moldova's shift toward the West, after being part of the Soviet Union, has resulted in deteriorating relations with Russia in recent years. The European Union and the United States have supported Moldova's claims regarding Russian interference in its elections.
In addition, Moldova’s Foreign Ministry condemned a violation of its airspace on Sunday by two alleged Russian drones. The ministry stated, "Our competent institutions have clear information that the drones were launched by the Russian Federation" and warned the ambassador that such provocations represent a serious violation and an unfriendly act that endangers citizens' lives.
Ambassador Ozerov countered that he had not been summoned by the ministry and characterized the meeting as mutually agreed. He claimed there was no evidence the drones were from Russia and that Moscow does not conduct drone flights over countries bordering Ukraine.
