CHISINAU, December 19. /TASS/. Moldovan President Maia Sandu accused Russia of planning to destabilize the situation in the country before the upcoming presidential election in November 2024.

"We think that Russia will continue its attempts to destabilize the situation here. Most likely, they will start closer to spring. People who are already located here [in Moldova] may be used, and tactics may change. We need to learn lessons from the local [municipal] elections, analyze them, and take measures to protect citizens' votes and the democratic election process," Sandu said in an interview with PRO-TV.

Since 2022, the Moldovan authorities have been facing a crisis situation, with mass opposition protests demanding the resignation of the president and the government formed by her Party of Action and Solidarity. The protesters hold the incumbent authorities responsible for the sharp rise in prices and increased level of poverty in the country. In response, the authorities accused the opposition of plotting to stage a coup, initiated criminal cases against protest leaders, and shut down TV channels and information websites that served as platforms for the opposition.

The government’s actions have been criticized by representatives of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), who observed local government elections held under a state of emergency in November this year.

Earlier, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev said that the West, led by Washington, is attempting to maintain a crisis situation in a number of countries, including Moldova, where they turn a blind eye to gross violations of law and human rights. He said that Russia and Belarus would be subject to rote condemnations by the West.