Sandu's policies leading Moldova to war with Western patrons’ help - ex-Moldovan president

Moldovan President Maia Sandu and the ruling Action and Solidarity Party (PDS) are leading the country to war at the behest of their Western patrons, former Moldovan President Igor Dodon said.

"Maia Sandu and the PDS are leading Moldova according to a script written by their external handlers. Closing media outlets, cracking down on out-of-favor parties and politicians, joining NATO and militarizing Moldova, dividing the church - Sandu is leading us down this path, and the blocking of 22 Russian websites in Moldova this week is a part of this strategy: to please the West, split Moldovan society and drag it into war," Dodon wrote on his Telegram channel, TASS reports.

Mass protests broke out in Moldova last year, with participants demanding the resignation of Sandu and the government and early parliamentary elections. The demonstrators accused the authorities of being unable to cope with the economic crisis and falling living standards. Last year, the inflation rate in the country exceeded 30%, gas tariffs have risen seven times in two years, and electricity has become three times more expensive.

Sandu in turn accused the opposition of preparing a coup and advocated for additional powers for the intelligence services and law enforcement agencies. Six opposition TV channels have been banned, dozens of people opposed to government policies have been arrested, and criminal charges have been filed against opposition leaders. In August, at Sandu’s suggestion, the "Patriot" Center for Strategic Communication and Combating Disinformation was established. According to the president, its work will be directed against Russia, which was accused of information attacks by Moldovan authorities, as well as against "traitors to the motherland," who purportedly are blocking the course of Moldova’s European integration.