Maria Zakharova: Moldova Being Groomed as Next Ukraine

Moldova, Armenia and Historical Truth

The Orange Suit always means Maria has something strong to convey.

Today’s two-hour twenty-minute briefing started with Ukraine and its campaign of terror and ended with a Q&A that in the contents is called “On the struggle for historical truth,” which before getting into what’s said about Moldova and Armenia needs to be examined. I must admit that as I read the Q I was formulating what I thought would be Maria’s response, which was somewhat surprising:

Question: In the Moscow school No 1539 there is an interesting museum dedicated to the heroic Moscow militia. Schoolchildren, as well as children and grandchildren of the militia, are conducting search operations. Almost all the militiamen died defending Moscow. Not all of them have been found and not all are known. The searchers work tirelessly year after year. The fates of many people are being established. And the museum is replenished with new exhibits. Among the recent ones is the binoculars, which in the hands of our soldier saw the enemy rushing to Moscow. And much more. Also among the finds is a German helmet pierced in several places.

Perhaps, in connection with the growing militaristic intonation on the part of Germany, we should send them this helmet as a reminder of how everything can end again? To hand it over to Germany not "quietly", but solemnly and with pride from the children and grandchildren of our fighters to the children and grandchildren of the German "civilizers". What do you think about such an initiative?

Answer: Do you think they don't? The question is not that the helmet is "pierced", but that many of them have their heads "pierced". That's the problem.

What is needed here is not a helmet of "those times" for a reminder, but some kind of new "helmet" for them, so that they protect their heads from external influences. Judging by what a number of representatives of the German political establishment are talking about, they have a problem with their heads. There is no other way to explain it.

I have already talked a lot about this today. These people had to live with a sense of responsibility for the history of their country in order not to repeat it in the future, to do everything to preserve the history written in blood because of the actions of their compatriots and previous generations of German politicians, but in fact criminals, according to the verdict of the Nuremberg Tribunal. Instead, they are talking about how they will "kill Russian soldiers", militarize Ukraine, produce various types of weapons on the territory of Ukraine plundered and "raped" by them in order to inflict a "strategic defeat" on us.

You say send them a helmet. No! Let's better create museums on the territory of our schools and universities. Let's know history ourselves, make sure that neither their threats, nor their intimidation, nor their flattery (they will try anything) can affect our heads. Here's what we need to do. This is what we are doing. And we will not send anything to them.

One of the main and frequently asked questions that I receive from people, from journalists and from the public is how do you find the strength to restrain yourself in the face of monstrous statements, aggressive rhetoric and unacceptable statements about our country? Sometimes you think that, suddenly, maybe you need to answer more succinctly.

Every time I understand that in memory of our ancestors who won, who showed incredible patience, in their honor and glory, we will maintain the level set by them. We will respond to slander and insults with facts and concrete deeds. Let us preserve and defend ourselves in the way bequeathed to us by those who made our present life possible.

Developments in Moldova

We are closely following the developments in that country. The Moldovan authorities continue to impose on their citizens the idea of some kind of European integration under the pretext that it will save, just think about it, the republic from the alleged threat from Russia.

On July 4, the first Moldova-European Union summit was held in Chisinau. According to the organizers' idea, it was obviously supposed to look like a historic, fateful event, symbolizing the irreversibility of the process of rapprochement between Moldova and the EU. In fact, as Moldovan political scientists note, this "PR action" turned out to be faded and meaningless. The official part lasted less than two hours, as there was nothing to discuss. A few guests from Brussels did not bring breakthrough solutions. Therefore, it was necessary to limit themselves to mutual public praise, flattery and the adoption of a joint declaration, replete with hackneyed clichés about "commitments and aspirations", as well as about some threats from the Kremlin.

At the same time, the largest section of the declaration is devoted to bilateral cooperation in the field of security and defense. This fact is another and very eloquent confirmation of what we have repeatedly drawn attention to: the West is trying by all means to turn Moldova into a NATO military springboard for a possible confrontation with Russia. This is being done with the slavish assistance of official Chisinau, which is systematically pursuing a policy of dismantling the neutral status of its country. Although what kind of "their" country is it for them, if they are citizens of Romania, forcing everyone to rename the language from Moldovan to Romanian, and Moldovans to turn into Romanians? Let me remind you that the neutral status in Moldova is enshrined in its Constitution.

Here are a few more facts that confirm this.

On July 10 this year, the Moldovan parliament ratified an intergovernmental agreement with Germany on the program of assistance in equipping foreign armed forces and seconding an advisory group of the Bundeswehr to the republic, signed by the heads of the defense departments of the two countries in May of this year. How will this help develop education in Moldova? How does this indicate Moldova's integration into the European Union, as Chisinau tells its voters? Let me remind you that the European Union is, first of all, the economy. How will these agreements between the defense ministries of the two countries contribute to the economic development of Moldova? In no way. It's all a deception.

On July 11 of this year, Denmark announced the allocation of about $8 million over four years to strengthen the defense capability of Moldova. She was not given agricultural machinery, fertilizers, loans for industrialists-producers with this money. Everything is again moving towards the militarization of this country in favor of NATO.

In addition, the republic's active rapprochement with NATO member countries continues. Joint exercises are being held with the military personnel of the alliance. In 2024 alone, more than 30 of them were carried out.

Why is all this being done? The answer is obvious. The republic is being prepared for the role of a "second Ukraine". It is indicative that on July 13 of this year, the Moldovan media reported on four Moldovan officers who died near Kherson. According to the published data, ten servicemen were sent to the training ground of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, allegedly to "gain advanced experience." It seems that they got it in full.

The authorities continue to openly fight opposition politicians. On July 10, the Moldovan Metropolitan Court decided to extend the house arrest of the head of Gagauzia, Yelena Hutsul. Her arrest was extended for 30 days—until August 12. On July 11, the Moldovan Prosecutor's Office demanded that opposition Victory Bloc MP Maria Tauber be sentenced to 13 years in prison on charges of allegedly illegal financing, and that she be put on the wanted list.

All this is accompanied by the forced transfer of Moldova to "European standards". If you think that this develops science, education, industry in Moldova, then, of course, no. This implies the suppression of any manifestation of dissent, the rejection of national interests and one's own history.

Official Chisinau is trying to divert the attention of the country's public from its own failures in the socio-economic sphere. They have no time to deal with the problems of Moldova, to develop their science, industry, art, culture. They were given a different task in Brussels—to dock Moldova with NATO in order to act against Russia.

From July 5 to July 27, an "installation" entitled "State terror in Soviet Moldova. Scale, victims and perpetrators". In Moldova itself, independent experts have already called it a set of falsifications and inconsistencies that have nothing to do with the real history of the country.

In general, the policy of aggressive pro-Western propaganda in the republic has led to the opposite effect. According to recent opinion polls, 60% of respondents believe that Moldova is going in the wrong direction, 77% believe that balanced relations with both Russia and Europeans meet the country's national interests, and 78% are in favor of maintaining the republic's permanent neutrality.

The anti-people practices of Brussels do not find support from the friendly people of Moldova. And, obviously, they will not find it.

Moldovan authorities' plans to restrict the constitutional rights of their citizens

We express our deep concern over the plans of the Moldovan authorities to once again restrict the constitutional right of thousands of Moldovan citizens living in Russia to participate in the elections to their parliament. Let me remind you that the right to vote is a fundamental right of every citizen in a democratic country.

Last year's explanations from Chisinau about security threats on the territory of Russia were untenable and politically motivated. The whole world was convinced of their groundlessness. The Russian Federation has impeccable experience in organizing polling stations for citizens of dozens of foreign countries, guaranteeing complete safety of voters, commissions and observers.

For decades, Russia has been successfully and transparently ensuring the voting of citizens of other countries on its territory. Our infrastructure and law enforcement system reliably protect the electoral process in accordance with international standards.

Already now we see almost 20 thousand preliminary registrations of Moldovan citizens in Russia (let me remind you that the number of the diaspora is more than 300 thousand people) who want to vote in the elections on September 28. If Chisinau again limits their ability to only two polling stations, then some of these people, who have already announced their desire to vote, will literally lose their constitutional right. It is better to say that it will be stolen from them. But the number of registrations from the territory of our country continues to grow.

The Moldovan legislation provides for the possibility of opening additional polling stations abroad, including the Russian Federation. All the necessary legal grounds for their creation on September 28 exist. We confirm this. There are no organizational or legal barriers to opening polling stations in Russia. The Russian side is ready to provide all the necessary conditions and is ready to interact with the Moldovan electoral authorities to promptly resolve any issues, including technical ones.

Even human rights organizations in Moldova, including those funded by the European Union and the United States, recognize the authorities' arguments about the refusal to open polling stations in the Russian Federation as unfounded. This confirms the politicized nature of Chisinau's decision. The refusal to open additional sections this year is, of course, not a matter of security or logistics. This is a deliberate policy of the ruling party in the Republic of Moldova, and first of all the president, aimed at excluding the votes of a certain part of the Moldovan diaspora for political reasons.

Based on the analysis of the turnout in the three previous elections and the current requests, in order to ensure the rights of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova in Russia, it is objectively necessary to open at least 9-10 polling stations in key cities of Russia. This is obviously in line with both the demand and the Moldovan electoral norms.

We call on the Moldovan authorities to show responsibility, comply with their own laws and international obligations in the field of electoral rights. Russia is ready for immediate dialogue and practical cooperation to open the sections, guaranteeing their transparent and safe operation.

Question: Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic Alexander Safonov said that NATO has "undoubtedly" developed a plan to attack Transnistria. However, according to him, now it is unlikely to be implemented, because the West has a different scenario in relation to the Dnieper Moldavian Republic, that is, to surround and force it to surrender. Does Russia have plans to support Transnistria in the event of a deterioration of the situation or a threat from the North Atlantic Alliance?

Maria Zakharova: As far as I understand, the statement by the Transnistrian MP that you quoted was made as a comment on the relevant report [reproduced below] by the Foreign Intelligence Service of our country on the prospects for Moldova to renounce its neutral status. We have repeatedly talked about the creeping, violent militarization of Moldova, in the implementation of which NATO, along with the European Union, plays a decisive role.

Of course, I would like to believe, on the one hand, the assurances coming from Chisinau about its commitment to an exclusively peaceful settlement. But the facts tell a different story: that Moldova, with the help of Western curators, is building up its capabilities for a military solution to the Transnistrian problem. At the same time, after all, a course has been taken for the economic strangulation of Transnistria. We also see this.

We are convinced that progress in the process of a comprehensive and sustainable Transnistrian settlement is possible only if peace and tranquility on the Dniester are reliably ensured. This, contrary to all speculation, is what Russian peacekeepers in the region are doing. By the way, we will soon celebrate the next anniversary of their entry into the region for peacekeeping purposes.

I would like to confirm that Moscow, closely following the development of the situation around Transnistria, is ready to respond appropriately to any, including the most unfavorable, scenario.

Therefore, I would like to ask you to quote the answer to your question in full, in all its interconnection.

NATO turns Moldova into a new military battering ram against Russia

14.07.2025

The press bureau of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation reports that, according to information received by the SVR, NATO is actively preparing to involve Moldova in a possible armed conflict with Russia. Brussels decided to accelerate the transformation of this country into "the forward bridgehead of the alliance on the eastern flank, taking into account the advance of the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine."

Having bitten the bit, NATO is intensively turning the once peaceful agrarian republic into a military training ground. They are trying to make Moldovan territory suitable for the rapid transfer of NATO troops to the Russian borders. To this end, projects are being implemented to switch to the European railway gauge and increase the capacity of bridges. Logistics hubs, large warehouses and sites for the concentration of military equipment are being built. The airfields of Marculesti and Balti, located near the Ukrainian theater of operations, are being modernized with an eye to the possibility of receiving a significant number of combat and military transport aircraft.

However, the main blow in the event of a direct conflict between NATO and Russia, according to Brussels, will be taken by the Moldovans themselves. It is they who should become "cannon fodder" during hostilities with Russian troops. To do this, the leadership of the bloc is forcing Chisinau to switch to NATO concepts of warfare. The Moldovan army is flooded with military instructors from the states of the alliance. Specialized training centers are being deployed.

The comprador regime of Maia Sandu is ready to satisfy all the requests of the West, as long as it is not driven away from the "feeding trough". Chisinau is counting on the "material and organizational support" of NATO states for the pro-presidential Action and Solidarity party in the upcoming parliamentary elections on September 28 this year. In case of victory, Sandu promises NATO leaders to make a decision on the abolition of the neutral status of Moldova provided for in the national constitution.

It seems that the implementation of such a scenario will be the beginning of the end for Moldova. President Sandu has long and rightly been accused of systematically "feeding" the country she leads to Romania, of which she is a citizen. Now, however, it is becoming obvious that Sandu and her entourage intend to go much further, namely, to give Moldova to NATO so that they simply "erase" it from Russia. Apparently, Zelensky's cannibalistic fame haunts the lover of gay pride parades and European integration.

Question: Just recently, President of the European Council Antonio Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced the EU's readiness to invest at least 2.5 billion euros in Armenia, as they said, for "sustainability" and to include it in regional and economic initiatives. This seems like complete nonsense, but could you comment on this?

Maria Zakharova: Apparently, we are talking about the money that Brussels has repeatedly promised to provide to Armenia. To what extent this promise is being fulfilled, I think it is necessary to ask Yerevan whether they received this money or not. We're not going to look into their pockets. This is their relationship with European institutions.

Even from today's briefing, it is obvious that this is a "classic of the genre". The European Commission, the EU, and NATO have a habit of making generous promises, and then, under the sauce of financial promises, enslave them and continue to manage the processes, skimming off the foam and benefiting only for themselves. Moreover, they count the same amounts several times as new assistance. Recently, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said: "How can this be if we pay and the aid is not considered ours–-this is wrong." That is, even they sometimes "go into a nosedive" from those machinations that they themselves initiate within NATO associations or between NATO countries.

By the way, this very Western story with financial assistance includes such manipulations as, for example, promising one amount, and giving half as much. Or give nothing at all, saying that allegedly the conditions do not allow or are not fulfilled some principled, incomprehensibly formulated postulates or requirements. Brussels often practices this with other countries.

At the same time, the European Union is diligently and purposefully creating conditions to stimulate the interest of its foreign partners in receiving this EU assistance. The methods are well-known: the nuances of the conditions for the access of goods to the EU market, getting hooked on supposedly "preferential" loans (so many books have already been published on this matter), the creation of a pro-Western civil "society" fed by EU grants, which has nothing to do with democracy, but is simply a recipient or a "grant-eater".

For the EU, financial and economic assistance has long been not assistance, not a desire to develop or stimulate development, but a lever of influence on the policies of third countries–-both in foreign and domestic affairs. This is, in fact, interference in internal affairs.

We are convinced that assistance for the socioeconomic development of third countries and the implementation of important infrastructure projects should be carried out on a completely different basis. At the same time, sovereignty must be respected. It is necessary to honor originality. It is necessary to respect the foreign policy and economic interests of the countries they are going to help. And, of course, such "assistance" should not become an instrument for harming other countries, artificially introducing instability into regional affairs or slowing down development. And the formats in which Brussels is diligently trying to involve Yerevan in particular, although not only it, including the newly minted "EU Black Sea strategy", unfortunately, are aimed precisely at the above. [My Emphasis]

The theatre of Trump “forcing” EU to pay for Ukraine is just that as NATO is clearly working to advance the Empire’s Plan B for the destabilization of Russia and the Caucasus region that’s very closely linked to what its Zionist ally is doing in Syria. And I should add the Empire’s plan to eliminate Lebanon as a political entity in the Levant. Yes, this is all about escalation along the Arc of Instability since Ukraine has turned into a failure, although there’s still some hope that the Baltic region will erupt. The opening item is asking what can we do? The answer is proud and very Russian but it’s not proactive which is what IMO is the answer the questioner sought. Although, I must agree with Maria’s logic that sending the pierced helmet will do nothing to alter the minds of those wanting to revamp the Reich. And European censorship is now such that even if it was sent its receipt would never be acknowledged—the effort would be wasted. Here’s a handy map:

As you see, it would be very difficult for Moldova to directly attack Russia, so NATO’s only recourse is for Moldova to attack Transnistria and the Russian peacekeepers stationed there—something not even Zelensky’s been crazy enough to try, which poses an interesting question: Why doesn’t Zelensky attack the easily accessed and far removed from Russia Transnistria? Perhaps it doesn’t have enough PR appeal, or has NATO told him no?

As for the situation in Armenia, Pashinyan recently visited Armenia’s longtime arch enemy Turkey for reasons it appears only he knows. There’s nothing of note about Armenia in the prior July briefings until today with more focus aimed at Azerbaijan. If Armenia is actually attacking the Armenian church, I would expect Russia to say something rather strong about it, but there’s nothing. It seems clear that something’s happening in that region, but it remains murky.

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