Although there are still pro-Russian politicians in Moldova, this cannot irreparably affect the country’s European integration, thinks the political pundit Alexei Tulbure, according to whom most political forces in Moldova understood that the European development model is the only viable and the only one that can ensure the modernization of our country.
Alexei Tulbure says the war has definitively removed both Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova from Russia’s sphere of influence. The two states are no longer perceived internationally as post-Soviet countries.
“There is a lot of talk that we have pro-Russian politicians. But I do not think that this can influence our pro-European path to the extent that the Republic of Moldova fails completely in the direction of European integration. Before 24 February 2022, Moldova and Ukraine were countries of the post-Soviet space. That’s how we were treated. This was not claimed by Russia openly, but it was implied that Russia considered us to be in its backyard. Our sovereignty was not recognized by Moscow as full sovereignty. Now for us Russia’s position is no longer relevant,” said the political analyst during a program on Vocea Basarabiei.
According to Alexei Tulbure, the war in Ukraine irreversibly changed Moldovan-Russian relations, with our country definitively distancing itself from the aggressor and international pariah which Russia is today.
“We are withdrawing from the CIS, because it is impossible for Moldova to be in a community where the leader and spearhead of this organization is a criminal state, an internationally failed state, which the Russian Federation is today. The war in Ukraine could not but affect Moldovan-Russian relations, because what Russia is promoting now is absolutely unacceptable. Russia has violated international law, it does not recognize the sovereignty of independent states, it is committing war crimes. Moscow’s position can’t affect us today. What can affect us is the failure of the ongoing reforms and the situation inside the country”, added Alexei Tulbure.
On July 20, the Moldovan Parliament voted to withdraw from the Convention on the Interparliamentary Assembly of the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States. According to government representatives, Moldova maintains inter-parliamentary relations with some CIS member states on a bilateral level, including through friendship groups. The government also denounced several specific CIS agreements.
