Putin’s plan to control Moldova while destroying Ukraine

The guest of this episode is Alina Radu. She is the director of Ziarul de Gardăthe largest independent newspaper in Moldova. For years, Alina Radu has documented the corruption of pro-Russian oligarchs in her country and the Kremlin’s maneuvers to destabilize the young democracy. Since the invasion of Ukraine, these attacks have intensified.

The response of the pro-Western government led by Maia Sandu has been to accelerate entry into the European Union and strengthen ties with the United States. A successful operation. Moldova achieved candidate status and Joe Biden praised Sandu in his recent speech in Warsaw.

Moldova’s roadmap to civilization is full of difficulties. Moldova lacks the umbrella of NATO and suffers, like few others, from the burden of its Soviet past. Moldova’s ordeal is the illegal presence of Russian troops in the region of Transnistria, its own Donbas, and the existence of an extractive elite with tight control over newspapers and television.

Sandu doesn’t have it easy. But its large parliamentary majority and the strong support of the West, both political and economic, offer reasons for confidence. Will Moldova be able to resist and defeat the insistent pressure from the Kremlin?

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