ST. PETERSBURG, June 16./TASS/. Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s top diplomat, stated on Thursday that forces are at work to turn Moldova into a second Ukraine, and that sits fine with the current leadership’s consumer-oriented perspective.

"Of course, there are clear attempts to make a second Ukraine of Moldova," Lavrov said in an interview with NTV TV channel.

"This consumer-oriented approach on the part of the current Moldovan leadership is very revealing when they say ‘Let us start joining the European Union now, and then we will see what they will promise us there. Then, maybe we will decide on whether to stay within the Commonwealth of Independent States’, or other statements," the top diplomat explained, branding this position as ‘begging’. The majority of the Moldovan people, however, don't share this position, Lavrov noted.

"The Russians should give us a gas discount again, compared to the contracts that were signed, to defer payments," he cited an example of such statements. "This begging is extortion, in the end," he added.

He also said that Chisinau's behavior resembles role-playing. "If you don't do this for us, we'll move faster into Europe, and if you do, we still will move, but slower." That's roughly how I read these signals," the minister added.