The Moldovan authorities declared five employees of the Russian Embassy persona non grata. Their names are not mentioned. According to Kommersant, one of them is assistant military attache Alexander Grudin. His name became known after the arrest of ex-member of the Moldovan Parliament Yuri Bolboceanu, who is accused of espionage and treason. President of Moldova Igor Dodon, who is in conflict with Prime Minister Pavel Filip, perceived this decision extremely negatively, saying: such an “outrageous gesture” was made “on orders from the West, maybe even from overseas.”
Local media reported the decision of the Moldovan authorities to expel five Russian diplomats with reference to the country's Foreign Ministry. The names of the diplomats, as well as the reason for the decision, have not yet been explained. Russian Ambassador to Moldova Farit Mukhametshin confirmed this information, but also refrained from giving details. He told NewsMaker.md that the corresponding note was received by the embassy on May 29 in the afternoon. “The document is under study. For now, we cannot comment on anything,” the publication quotes Mr. Mukhametshin.
According to Kommersant, one of the five diplomats is Assistant Military Attaché of Russia Alexander Grudin. His name appeared in the spy scandal that erupted in Moldova in March. On March 17, the Information and Security Service of the Republic detained former member of the Moldovan Parliament Iurie Bolboceanu. He was accused of treason.
Prosecutors claim that he transmitted information that could harm the interests of the country to an undercover foreign intelligence officer - assistant military attache of the Russian Embassy, Alexander Grudin. The name of Mr. Grudin is also mentioned in the order of the prosecutor’s office to search the house of Yuri Bolboceanu (available to Kommersant).
The investigation into this case lasted seven months. During this time, the Moldovan prosecutor’s office claims, “sufficient evidence was collected indicating the commission of a crime under Art. 337 of the Criminal Code" (treason; punishment - from 12 to 20 years in prison). According to the prosecutor's office, the former deputy communicated for a long time with an employee of foreign intelligence services, passing on “information to the detriment of Moldova.” They reported that the defendant's mobile phone, which he used to contact the "undercover officer", $23 thousand and documents were confiscated.
The President of Moldova Igor Dodon promptly commented on the decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “The government has made an outrageous gesture towards our strategic partner - the Russian Federation. Today the ambassador was demanded that five Russian diplomats leave Moldova within 72 hours. I want to state that I am deeply outraged by this unfriendly step on the part of representatives of Moldovan diplomacy and condemn it in the most categorical way,” Mr. Dodon wrote in Facebook.
According to him, “European unionists are irritated by the president’s successes achieved in recent months and decided to engage in direct provocations, which carry the risk of a significant deterioration in Moldovan-Russian relations.” “This was most likely done on order from the West, maybe even from overseas, from those who are concerned that a constructive and effective dialogue has finally been achieved between the president and the Kremlin,” suggested the Moldovan president. Igor Dodon also noted that the decision taken by the authorities “to get involved in the geopolitical “games” of Brussels and Washington, as well as the “games” of NATO military structures in this region is very dangerous.” “I am sure that they do not understand what price our country will have to pay and what a difficult and risky situation they can put our country and our people in. They took this rude step, which will not remain without negative consequences,” concluded the Moldovan president.
“Today the Russian Embassy in Chisinau received a note from the Moldovan Foreign Ministry declaring several Russian diplomats “persona non grata.” Today, the President of Moldova made statements condemning these, in his words, “outrageous actions,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova told Kommersant. “The situation is paradoxical, but indicative - it is obvious that it has nothing to do with the work of Russian diplomats, but demonstrates the development of the situation in Moldova.”
Vladimir Solovyov, Chisinau
A quarter of a century ago, as a result of an armed conflict, Moldova was divided in two, and the Dniester River became a kind of border. In the east of the country, on the left bank of the Dniester, an unrecognized “Transnistrian Moldavian Republic” arose, oriented toward Russia. You can get from Moldova to any settlement in Transnistria only through the administrative border.
Transnistria yesterday and today
Peacekeepers on duty
Bendery is the second largest city of the unrecognized “Transnistrian Moldavian Republic”. It is located on the right bank of the Dniester, but is under the jurisdiction of Tiraspol. Previously, it took 40 minutes to get from Chisinau to Bendery. Now there is a danger of getting stuck at Transnistrian customs. In front of it is a peacekeeping post, where Moldovan, Transnistrian and Russian military personnel serve.
Transnistria yesterday and today
Varnitsa enclave
The village of Varnitsa stands on the banks of the Dniester. It is located within the city of Bendery, but administratively belongs to the Novo-Annensky district of right bank Moldova. A quarter of a century ago, during the armed conflict between the banks of the Dniester, its residents supported Chisinau, refusing to become part of the unrecognized Transnistria. In the photo - a military memorial in Varnitsa in memory of the fallen fellow villagers.
Transnistria yesterday and today
Named after Charles XII
Varnita has something to offer historians. This is probably the only village in the world where there is a street named after the Swedish King Charles XII. After the defeat near Poltava in 1709, he fled here from the army of Peter I. In 1711-1713. where the gardens of the Varnitsa peasants are now, a royal residence and a settlement grew up, which was called New Stockholm. In 1993, the remains of the royal office were found in Varnitsa.
Transnistria yesterday and today
With the help of the European Union
In the near future, a museum of Charles XII will be opened on the territory of the former royal residence. The project, with financial support from the European Union and Sweden, was initiated by a Swedish non-governmental organization with the difficult-to-reproduce name Nordiskkulturochhistoryformedling. The local women's organization, headed by Veronica Stefan, also got involved.
Transnistria yesterday and today
Mazepa's treasure
There is another memorial sign on Charles XII Street. It marks the place of death of the Ukrainian hetman Ivan Mazepa, who fled here from the Russian army along with the Swedish king. According to legend, while escaping, Mazepa managed to take with him 2 barrels of gold and several bags of silver. Some drowned in the Dnieper, but some, historians say, ended up in Varnitsa. Mazepa died here, in a peasant house, on September 22, 1709.
Transnistria yesterday and today
Residents of houses located opposite each other call this Varnitsa street differently. Some believe that they live on Nikolai Yorga Street, others claim that they live on Borisovskaya. This is because the odd side of the street belongs to the Moldovan Varnitsa, and the even side to the Transnistrian Bendery. Because of this, a lot of problems arise, for example, for businessmen who want to register a company here.
Transnistria yesterday and today
Local realities
Our guide around Varnita was a member of the local council, Georgiy Lupu. He said that some residents receive Transnistrian pensions with Russian supplements, because worked at enterprises in Bender. Employees of Varnitsa enterprises receive salaries in Moldovan lei, and pay for housing and communal services in Transnistrian rubles. The ratio between the leu and the ruble is 3:1 in favor of the Transnistrian currency.
Transnistria yesterday and today
Tank in the barn
Georgy took us to the former military base of the 14th Russian Army. The abandoned base holds a lot of interesting things. For example, in one of the garages there is a real tank. True, it was not possible to remove it, because... the owner was absent. He is one of the local residents who purchased a piece of land in this territory along with abandoned rusty equipment. But the guard tower remained.
Transnistria yesterday and today
Bender then and now
To get from Varnitsa to Bendery, you need to go through customs and get a migration card. In June 1992, the city was the site of fierce battles for the bridge across the Dniester between defenders of the integrity of Moldova and supporters of the unrecognized republic. More than a thousand people died in them. Today the city lives an ordinary life and differs from other Moldovan cities except in the abundance of military monuments.
Transnistria yesterday and today
Tickets to the main attraction of the city - the Bendery Fortress - can also be bought for Moldovan lei. Built by the Turks in the 16th century. The fortification has only recently opened for tours. During Soviet times, a missile brigade of the 14th Russian Army and a pontoon-bridge regiment were stationed here. Now a military unit of the army of the unrecognized Transnistrian Republic is adjacent to the fortress.
Transnistria yesterday and today
The same Munchausen
In front of the entrance to the fortress there is the same cannonball on which that same Munchausen flew to look at the positions of the enemy who had taken refuge behind the walls of the citadel. It is no coincidence that both the core and the monument to the literary hero were installed here. Prototype of the story by R.E. Raspe Karl Friedrich Hieronymus Baron von Munchausen actually took part in the storming of the Bendery fortress by Russian troops in 1737.
Transnistria yesterday and today
The bridges are still open
From the observation deck of the Bendery fortress you can see the bridge over the Dniester. Behind it on the opposite side is Tiraspol, the capital of the unrecognized state. All 25 years that have passed since the armed clashes, the bridge does not connect, but rather separates the banks. After the end of the conflict in the summer of 1992, the negotiation process began on its settlement and the status of the Transnistrian region. It still lasts.
Five Russian diplomats in Moldova were declared persona non grata based on information received from the country's intelligence service. This was stated by the Moldovan Prime Minister Pavel Philip. Correspondent Federal News Agency talked with an expert about the pressure on representatives of the Russian diplomatic mission in Eastern Europe and the Baltic countries.
When asked by journalists who exactly was declared persona non grata, the Prime Minister of Moldova replied that he could not disclose this information. “That's all I can say at this point. I cannot provide all the motives that were provided by the intelligence services,” Philip said.
Let us remind you that on Monday, May 29, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Moldova declared five Russian diplomats persona non grata. This information was confirmed to the Russian media by the Russian Ambassador to Moldova Farit Mukhametshin. According to him, the document received from the Moldovan leadership is currently being studied by the Russian side.
In turn, the President of Moldova Igor Dodon severely criticized the government's decision. In his opinion, the expulsion of Russian diplomats is an absolutely unfriendly step.
Political expert, director of the Center for Geopolitical Research of the Institute for Innovative Development Dmitry Rodionov in a conversation with FAN, he noted that the expulsion of Russian diplomats from Moldova, like last week from Estonia, is indeed an outrageous act, but quite predictable. Russia's opponents need to maintain the required degree of anti-Russian hysteria.
“When there are no reasons for this, you can always expel a couple of diplomats from the country, accusing them of espionage. Moreover, this fits perfectly with the general stream of Western propaganda, according to which the all-powerful Russian KGB has entangled the whole world with its tentacles, Russian hackers control the entire Internet, and Putin personally appoints presidents of Western countries in the Kremlin. Here you can still combine business with pleasure by deporting precisely those people who are disliked by the authorities or who may actually pose a danger through their activities. Was it the same Grudin Whether involved in a spy scandal or not, the military attaché is always the perfect target. In the case of Moldova, you should pay attention to one more thing: it is obvious that the expulsion of diplomats is intended to hit President Igor Dodon, who is trying to normalize relations between Chisinau and Moscow,” explained Dmitry Rodionov.
According to the expert, the peculiarity of the Moldovan political system is that the president, although not a purely ceremonial figure, as in Germany, has no real levers of governing the country. He can travel to Moscow as much as he wants and assure it of his desire to normalize relations; the country's foreign policy, as well as domestic policy, is ultimately determined by the government appointed by parliament.
“The so-called “pro-European” parties have a majority in parliament, and they determine the country’s course, which is anti-Russian. The situation could be changed through a referendum on the country’s foreign policy, which Dodon has long promised, or a referendum on the redistribution of powers between the president and parliament. It is clear that the unionists will not allow such a referendum to be held. Another option - more realistic - is victory in parliamentary elections and the implementation of constitutional changes by a parliamentary majority. But elections will take place only at the end of 2018, and by then it is still unknown what the situation in the country will be. And today the “European integrators” are clearly making every effort to neutralize everything that Dodon is trying to achieve. They simply put a spoke in his wheels, provoking Moscow to refuse rapprochement. It is characteristic that the incident occurred on the same day when the president, the chairman of parliament and the prime minister confirmed a common position on the Transnistrian problem. It is quite possible that the expulsion of diplomats was aimed precisely at destroying the illusion that the Moldovan political elites are capable of reaching an agreement. And if they are capable, then only on issues that can hardly be considered a manifestation of readiness to improve relations with Moscow. In these issues, the “European integrators” make it clear that there will be no compromise, and the further the “pro-Russian” forces try to demonstrate their “pro-Russianness,” the more difficult it will be for them,” concluded Dmitry Rodionov.
Three countries at once found themselves drawn into a diplomatic war with Moscow, accompanied by demarches and expulsions of embassy staff, notes of protest and visa bans. In one day, seven diplomats from two countries that were formerly part of the USSR - Moldova and Estonia - were declared persona non grata. At the same time, information appeared that Moscow included in the sanctions list the highest-ranking officials of Montenegro, including the country’s Prime Minister Dusko Markovic, who were barred from entering Russian territory.
Moldova
On May 31, Russia decided to expel five employees of the Moldovan Embassy in Moscow from the country in response to the expulsion of five Russian diplomats from Chisinau on May 29. This was reported on Wednesday, May 31, by the press service of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
“The Minister-Counselor of the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in the Russian Federation, Nikolai Muinea, was invited to the Russian Foreign Ministry, where he was given a note indicating that in response to the expulsion of five Russian diplomats from Chisinau on May 29, five employees of the Moldovan diplomatic mission in Moscow were declared persons non grata, and they are ordered to leave the territory of the Russian Federation within three days,” says a press release from the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Moldovan Ambassador to Moscow Andrei Neguta told RIA Novosti that diplomats must travel abroad to Russia within three days. “We were given three days. Diplomats will leave Russia on the third day - June 3,” the ambassador said.
Moscow, at the same time, expressed hope that Moldova will realize the counterproductiveness of its unfriendly actions towards Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized that the destructive nature of the steps taken by Chisinau contradicts the principles of partnership and mutual trust.
Earlier, on May 29, the Moldovan Foreign Ministry announced the expulsion of five diplomats from the Russian Embassy in Chisinau from the country. Moldovan President Igor Dodon condemned this government decision, emphasizing that it is directed against its efforts to restore relations with Russia. “Over the 25 years of establishing diplomatic relations between the Republic of Moldova (Republic of Moldova) and the Russian Federation, our bilateral relations have never been on the brink of an abyss as they are now,” Dodon noted. This, he said, was caused by the irresponsible actions of the Moldovan government and the parliamentary majority, “who make decisions not in the interests of their people, but based on the geopolitical interests of Western curators.”
Assistant to the Russian President Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday that the Presidents of Russia Vladimir Putin and Moldova Igor Dodon will briefly communicate on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
Estonia
Also on May 31, Russia announced that it would take a similar step in response to the expulsion of Russian diplomats from Estonia.
“In connection with the unfriendly action of the Estonian authorities, which declared two Russian diplomats undesirable persons, on May 31, the Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia in Moscow, Arti Hilpus, was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Hilpus was presented with a note from the diplomatic mission, which reported that the Consul General of Estonia in St. Petersburg, Jaanus Kirikmäe, and the head of the Pskov Chancellery of the Consulate General of Estonia in St. Petersburg, Katrin Kanarik, were declared persona non grata. Diplomats are ordered to leave Russia within five days.
Moscow again emphasized that “the ongoing destructive line of the Estonian authorities will inevitably have a very negative impact on bilateral relations.”
Last week, the Estonian authorities ordered two diplomats from the Russian Consulate General in Narva - Consul General Dmitry Kazennov and Consul Andrei Surgaev - to leave the country by the end of May. The reasons for this decision were not reported.
According to the Estonian TV channel ETV+, the reason for the expulsion was a recent incident with the mayor of the city of Kiviõli Nikolai Voekin. The incident was caused by an inscription that appeared on May 17 on a monument to the fallen crew of the Soviet Pe-2 bomber, which was shot down over Estonia in 1944. The monument read: “These killers bombed my grandmother. Let them burn in hell." The act of vandalism was discussed by Mayor Voekin with Russian diplomats Kazennov and Surgaev.
“The treatment of a municipal employee was inappropriate. The conversation was recorded and could have become the main reason for their expulsion from the country,” the TV channel noted.
Montenegro
On May 29, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro presented the Russian Ambassador in Podgorica Sergei Gritsai with a note of protest in connection with the “detention” of deputy Miodrag Vukovich at Moscow Domodedovo Airport. The Russian Embassy in Montenegro told the TASS agency that the Montenegrin deputy was not allowed into Russian territory because he was on the sanctions list compiled by Moscow in response to Montenegro joining anti-Russian sanctions.
Later, the Montenegrin newspaper Pobjeda reported, citing sources in the Montenegrin Foreign Ministry, that Prime Minister of Montenegro Dusko Markovic, Speaker of the Montenegrin Parliament Ivan Brajovic and a number of leading politicians in the country were on Moscow’s sanctions list and were banned from entering Russia. “The list contains at least 70 people,” the publication’s interlocutor said.
After this, the press secretary of the Russian Embassy in Podgorica, Elizaveta Borisova, told the TASS agency that in September 2015, Russia exercised the right to introduce reciprocal measures regarding the ban on the entry into Russian territory of individual citizens of Montenegro. Borisova noted that Moscow does not announce specific names.
Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday, May 31, did not comment on the possible inclusion of the leaders of Montenegro on Moscow’s sanctions list. “I don’t comment on this issue,” the TASS agency quotes him as saying.
Prime Minister of Moldova Pavel Filip, commenting on the declaration of five Russian diplomats as persona non grata, said that he wants Russia to treat the republic more respectfully. During the briefing, he emphasized that Chisinau values relations with Moscow and has been making a lot of efforts in recent years to achieve this.
“But we also want to be treated with respect, despite the fact that we are a small country. We are members of the CIS, where there are rules that all members of the commonwealth must comply with,” TASS quotes the Moldovan prime minister.
On May 29, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova declared several Russian diplomats persona non grata. The country's President Igor Dodon, who criticized this decision, said that the Russian Ambassador to Moldova Farit Mukhametshin was required that five employees of the Russian mission leave the territory of Moldova within 72 hours.
At the same time, Philip expressed regret that Moldova “never received a response to the note addressed to the Russian Embassy in Chisinau,” in which the country’s authorities expressed “outrage at the excessive control of Moldovan officials on the Russian border.”
At the same time, the Prime Minister of Moldova emphasized that these are not the only problems that Chisinau faces in matters of bilateral relations. According to him, there are also difficulties associated with the export of Moldovan goods to Russian territory and migration issues. At the same time, Moldova, according to the head of the country’s government, will strive to restore good relations with Moscow in the listed areas.
The decision of the Moldovan Foreign Ministry was criticized by the country's President Igor Dodon, who had previously repeatedly stated the need to build more constructive relations with Russia.
“The government has made an outrageous gesture towards our strategic partner, the Russian Federation.
I want to state that I am deeply outraged by this unfriendly step on the part of representatives of Moldovan diplomacy and condemn it in the most categorical way,” President Dodon wrote on his Facebook.
The decision of the Moldovan authorities caused a negative reaction from the Russian Foreign Ministry. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin promised that Moscow will give a tough response to the decision to expel Russian diplomats from Moldova. However, Karasin has not yet named specific formats for such a response.
“This is a gross provocation, a blow to those forces in Moldova led by President Igor Dodon, who really advocate the normalization and improvement of bilateral relations with Russia,” said the deputy head of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Guest of honor of Moscow
It should be noted that this is not the first diplomatic scandal in relations between the two countries in 2017. On March 1, the Moldovan government unexpectedly recalled the republic’s ambassador to Russia, Dmitry Braghis. Then the Moldavian Foreign Ministry did not talk about the reasons for the decision.
Igor Dodon was elected to the position of president at the end of last year. In the elections, he represented the Socialist Party, which opposes the liberal democratic forces that are in power in the country. It is noteworthy that these were the first direct popular elections in Moldova, and they were won by a candidate who was initially called “pro-Russian.” During the election campaign, he repeatedly stated the need to normalize relations with Moscow.
During the six months that Dodon led the country, he made official visits to Moscow several times, and at the Victory Parade on May 9, 2017, he was present at the podium on Red Square as an honored guest.
At the same time, Moldova is a parliamentary republic, where the powers of the president are significantly limited compared to the rights of parliament and government. The election of Dodon as president of the country shows a serious split within Moldovan society and the country’s leadership, Vladimir Evseev, deputy director of the Institute of CIS Countries, told Gazeta.Ru.
“On the one hand, Dodon is committed to interacting with Russia and deepening cooperation. On the other hand, there is a parliament that opposes the president and has actually deprived him of many rights. During Dodon’s January visit to Moscow, Russian authorities showed that they were ready to expand contacts with him.
This could probably irritate his political rivals,” the expert added.
At the end of last week, Russian diplomats in Estonia also came under pressure, where the authorities announced the expulsion from the country of two employees of the Russian consulate in Narva. Notes with an order to leave Estonia were handed to Consul General Dmitry Kazennov and Consul Andrei Surgaev. The Russian Foreign Ministry also regarded the actions of the Estonian authorities as an unfriendly act.
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