Vice Prime Minister Mihai Popsoi asserted Moldova’s sovereignty and strongly rejected external interference in the country’s internal affairs. “The times when Moscow dictated what we had to do are long gone,” he stated, responding to criticism from several officials in the Russian Federation regarding the sentencing of regional leader Evghenia Gutul, according to MOLDPRES.
Popsoi condemned the reactions from Moscow as “interference” in Moldova’s domestic matters.
“Moldova acts in the best interest of its citizens, clearly pursuing its national goal of strengthening peace and prosperity as part of the greater European family,” Popsoi affirmed.
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When asked whether the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would summon Oleg Ozerov, Russia’s appointed mission chief in Chisinau, Popsoi responded: “We will certainly examine all options to defend Moldova’s national interests.”
Russian officials criticized the court’s decision to sentence Evghenia Gutul to seven years in prison in a case linked to the illegal financing of the former Shor party.
Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Russian president, called the ruling “an example of illegal pressure on political opponents during an election campaign.” Additionally, Constantin Zatulin, the State Duma’s special representative for migration and citizenship, declared that “the most radical way to resolve the issue is to push the Russian army rapidly toward Ukraine’s border with the Transnistrian region.”