Officials in Chisinau say the statement by Nikolai Patrushev, Vladimir Putin’s aide, that Moldova “will either become part of another state or cease to exist” is an interference in the country’s internal affairs.
This was reported by NewsMaker, Ukrinform saw.
In an interview with Russian media, Patrushev tried to shift the blame for the energy crisis in Moldova onto the country’s authorities and called on Chisinau “not to deceive itself or its people”, but “to admit its mistakes and start fixing the situation”.
“I do not rule out that Chisinau’s aggressive anti-Russian policy will lead to Moldova either becoming part of another state or ceasing to exist altogether,” Patrushev said.
The Moldovan Foreign Ministry condemned the statement, recalling that Moldova is a sovereign state.
“Such statements are unacceptable interference in the internal affairs of our country, aimed at destabilizing the region. Moldova is a sovereign state that stands firmly on the path of democracy and European integration, in line with the will of its citizens,” the ministry emphasized.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, on January 1, 2025, as scheduled, Ukraine officially stopped transit of Russian gas. The Ministry of Energy said the decision had been made in the national security interest.
On December 28, Russia’s Gazprom announced it would stop supplying gas to Moldova over alleged debts. After the cessation of Russian gas supplies, the country started purchasing electricity on European markets. After that, a crisis unfolded in unrecognized Transnistria as heat supplies were suspended and widespread power outages were put in place, leading to a shutdown of most enterprises.
Chisinau refers to the energy crisis as Kremlin blackmail and a threat to national security. Russia and its puppet entity Transnistria, in turn, accuse Moldova and Ukraine of “provoking the energy crisis.”
Source: Chisinau responds as Kremlin claims Moldova "may cease to exist"
