A group of American senators, led by Jim Risch (Republican) and Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat), the chairman and a senior member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a joint statement ahead of the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Moldova.
The signatories of the document sent to Spotmedia.ro highlight Russia’s efforts to interfere in the election and reaffirm the United States’ support for democracy in Chisinau.
Alongside Risch and Shaheen, the statement is signed by Senators Dick Durbin, Tedd Budd, Chris Coons, Chuck Grassley, Chris Murphy, and Thom Tillis (from both parties).
"Clear and Overwhelming Evidence" of Russia's Interference
"As the citizens of the Republic of Moldova prepare to vote for a new parliament, there is clear and overwhelming evidence that Russia is conducting a state-sponsored campaign to interfere in the upcoming elections, as it did openly last year.
Despite Russia's attempts to undermine the integrity of the elections in the Republic of Moldova, voters have rejected its efforts to use propaganda, economic coercion, and vote-buying schemes to influence the results," the document states.
The American senators urge Moldovan voters to participate in large numbers in the election, emphasizing the importance of free voting in the face of external interference.
"We applaud the Trump administration's efforts to counter the use of cryptocurrencies by Russia-backed actors to facilitate these nefarious activities. The best way for Moldovans, including those in the diaspora, to maintain their sovereignty in the face of Russian interference is to go to the polls and exercise their right to free expression," the signatories of the letter say.
Moldova, a Strategic Partner for the United States
The American senators draw attention to Russia's illegal maintenance of troops on the territory of the Republic of Moldova.
"We recognize the significant progress that the Republic of Moldova has made in recent years in building democracy and developing free relations with the United States and the European Union, relations that serve our common interests.
The Republic of Moldova is an essential member of the transatlantic community, and its future has important implications for our allies and partners throughout the region. We must remember that, from the moment of independence to the present day, Russia continues to illegally maintain troops on the sovereign territory of the Republic of Moldova and uses this presence to promote its broader expansionist objectives, especially regarding Ukraine," the document further states.
In conclusion, the senators reaffirm the United States' commitment to the right of the Republic of Moldova to self-determination.
"Moldovans and peoples of all nations deserve the right to choose the future of their country, free from any external interference. The United States aims to support them in preserving this right, while Russia seeks to deny it to promote its own geopolitical agenda. We are proud to defend the right of the Republic of Moldova to self-determination and look forward to strengthening our partnership in the years to come," the statement concludes.
Moscow-Paid Propaganda
BBC journalists revealed over the weekend the existence of a secret Russian-funded propaganda network that seeks to disrupt this month's democratic elections in the Republic of Moldova.
Using an undercover reporter, the publication found that the network promised to pay participants if they published pro-Russian propaganda and false news designed to undermine the pro-EU governing party in Moldova ahead of the parliamentary election on September 28.
BBC found links between the secret network and Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor - sanctioned by the US for "the Kremlin's malign influence operations" and now a fugitive in Moscow.