Lavrov receives Prime Minister
Moscow woos Moldovan border region with Ukraine
09.06.2024, 14:55
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While the Republic of Moldova is moving more towards the West and wants to join the EU, Russia is courting the head of government of the autonomous region of Gagauzia. The traditionally pro-Russian region shares a border with Ukraine.
As an affront to the Republic of Moldova, Russia is demonstratively supporting the pro-Russian head of government of the autonomous region of Gagauzia, Evghenia Gutul. At the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg last week, Gutul was received by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, as the Russian TV political magazine “Moscow. Kremlin. Putin” reported. Lavrov was interested in alleged problems that Gutul had when entering and leaving Moldova due to pressure from the government in Chisinau.
Gutul herself published photos from St. Petersburg on the social network X, showing her in conversation with the governors of Russian regions such as Tatarstan, Penza and Krasnodar. In May, the politician, who will be elected in 2023, was already received by President Vladimir Putin in Sochi.
The Gagauz are a Turkic-speaking minority in the Republic of Moldova. The founding of the autonomous region of Gagauzia in 1994 was seen as an example of a peaceful ethnic conflict in the territory of the former Soviet Union – in contrast to the civil war in the separatist region of Transnistria. In the area around the capital Comrat in the south of Moldova, Turkish, Romanian and Russian are official languages.
Moldova was long torn between pro-Western and pro-Russian forces. Under the current President Maia Sandu, the poor country is moving closer to the EU and has been granted candidate status. Russia is trying to maintain its influence in the region. Russian soldiers are still stationed in Transnistria, but they are cut off from supplies from the motherland. In order to weaken the Moldovan government in Chisinau, Moscow has increased its efforts in the traditionally Russia-friendly Gagauzia since the start of the war of aggression against Ukraine.