U.S. says Russian-linked actors planning protests and hope to topple Moldova’s government

U.S. intelligence officials have determined that people with ties to Russian intelligence are planning the protests in hopes of toppling the Moldovan government, according to the White House.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the intelligence showed that actors, some with ties to Russian intelligence, were trying to stage and use the protests in Moldova as a basis to mount an uprising against Moldova’s new pro-Western government.

Kirby said intelligence indicated that other Russian actors would provide training and help stage demonstrations in Moldova, which was granted EU candidate status in June, on the same day as war-torn neighboring Ukraine.

The publication of Moscow’s alleged nefarious operation in Moldova is just the latest example of the Biden administration loosening restrictions and making public intelligence findings during the war in Ukraine.

‘More friendly to Russia’

The administration said it wanted to highlight plans for Russian disinformation and other activities to keep allies clear about Moscow’s intentions and for Russia to think twice before carrying out operations.

“As Moldova continues to integrate with Europe, we believe Russia is pursuing options to undermine the Moldovan government with the ultimate goal of seeing a more Russian-friendly administration in the capital,” Kirby said.

Kirby also pointed to recent efforts by Russia, he said, to spread disinformation about the overall stability of Moldova.

He pointed specifically to Russian Defense Ministry claims last month that Ukraine had planned to invade Transnistria, a separatist region backed by Moldova.

He called the action “baseless, false,” and said the claims were “groundless alarm.”

The White House released the intelligence shortly before US President Joe Biden was scheduled to meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

New anti-government protests

In recent weeks, several anti-government protests have been held in the capital, Chisinau, organized by a group called Movement for the People and supported by members of Moldova’s pro-Russian Shor Party, which holds six of the country’s 101 seats. legislature.

Protests are also planned by Sunday groups. The leader of the Shor Party, Ilan Shor, is a Moldovan oligarch currently in exile in Israel.

Shor was named on the US State Department sanctions list as working for Russian interests. Britain also added Shor to its sanctions list in December.

On Thursday, Moldova’s national anti-corruption agency said officers searched a “courier” car for the Shor Party, and seized more than 150,000 euros ($220,660 Cdn) in a case of alleged illegal party funding by an organized criminal group.

The money, which was placed in envelopes and bags in at least two different currencies, was intended to “pay for transportation and remunerate people who came to protests organized by the party,” the agency said.

Three people were arrested. Shor’s party also organized several anti-government protests last fall, which rocked Moldova as it struggles to deal with a severe energy crisis after Moscow cut natural gas supplies.

At the same time, the Moldovan government asked the country’s Constitutional Court to declare the Shor Party illegal, while anti-corruption prosecutors alleged that the protests were partially financed with Russian money.

Meanwhile, Transnistria, which has close ties to Moscow and hosts Russian troops, claimed on Thursday that it had thwarted an assassination attempt on the president allegedly orchestrated by Ukraine’s national security service. Officials said that Ukraine’s SBU security service ordered the assassination attempt, but did not provide evidence. The SBU denied the allegations, saying they “should be considered exclusively a provocation orchestrated by the Kremlin.”

Between Ukraine and Romania, Moldova is often at the center of the struggle between Moscow and the West. After being part of the Soviet Union, Moldova declared its independence in 1991. One of the poorest countries in Europe with a population of about 2.6 million, it has historic ties with Russia but wants to join the 27-nation European Union.

The push-and-pull has only intensified since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year.