Moscow courts Moldova's border area near Ukraine
In a shift towards the West, the Republic of Moldova aims to join the European Union. In response, Russia has been courting the prime minister of the autonomous region of Gagauzia, a traditionally pro-Russian area that shares a border with Ukraine.
As a gesture against the Republic of Moldova's pro-Western leanings, Russia openly supports Evghenia Gutul, the pro-Russian prime minister of Gagauzia. Russian TV program "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin" reported that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Gutul during the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg last week. During their conversation, Lavrov is said to have inquired about any issues Gutul may have faced with the Moldovan government in Chisinau regarding border crossings.
To further show their support, Gutul shared photos on social media of herself meeting with governors from Russia's Tatarstan, Pensa, and Krasnodar regions. Just a few months ago, in May, Gutul had already met with President Vladimir Putin in Sochi.
The Gagauz are a Turkic minority in the Republic of Moldova. The creation of the Autonomous Region of Gagauzia in 1994 is considered an instance of a peaceful resolution of a nationality conflict in the former Soviet Union, in stark contrast to the unrest in Transnistria. In the Comrat region, Turkish, Romanian, and Russian are recognized as official languages.
Moldova has been divided between pro-Western and pro-Russian factions for a long time. Under the leadership of current president Maia Sandu, the impoverished nation is moving toward the EU and has been granted candidate status. Russia, meanwhile, tries to maintain its influence in the region. Russian troops are still stationed in Transnistria, but are cut off from their homeland. To weaken the Moldovan government in Chisinau, Moscow has intensified its efforts to promote the Russia-friendly Gagauz region since the start of the war in Ukraine.
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Despite Russia's courtship of Gagauzia's prime minister, Sergey Lavrov recently met with Evghenia Gutul to discuss border issues with Ukraine. The attack on Ukraine has led Russia to strengthen its ties with pro-Russian regions near Ukraine, including Gagauzia within the Republic of Moldova.
