After a long discussion, the Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova are now among the candidates for EU membership. However, the Kremlin warns that admission must not worsen relations between the two countries and between the EU and Russia. These are “also already spoiled a lot”.
The Kremlin makes a condition for a possible EU accession of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova that their relations with Russia do not deteriorate any further. The granting of candidate status to the two ex-Soviet republics is initially an “internal European matter,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to the Interfax news agency. “It is very important for us that these processes do not create any more problems for us or for relations with the countries mentioned.”
In addition, it must be ensured that relations between Russia and the European Union do not deteriorate further as Ukraine and Moldova approach the EU, Peskov said. “They’re pretty spoiled already.” The Kremlin spokesman also criticized the Moldovan leadership in this context: they were trying to justify candidate status by taking measures against Russia. “It seems to you that the more anti-Russian they are, the more the Europeans should like them,” said Peskov.
After the Russian attack on Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova officially declared itself neutral and has so far not participated in Western sanctions against Russia, on whose gas supplies the republic is still heavily dependent. At the same time, fears are growing in Chisinau that Moscow troops will attack their own country, citing the alleged oppression of the Russian-speaking population. Moldova has a conflict region in Transnistria, where a pro-Russian separatist regime has de facto ruled since the 1990s.
