Moldovan president Maia Sandu gave an exclusive interview to the podcast Perestrojkast during her visit to the Netherlands. A conversation about threats from Russia, hope for European integration, but also about the neutral position of her country. "If Moldovans do not want to join NATO, then we must take that wish seriously."

Nowadays Maia Sandu's policy is based on two main directions. She tries with all her might to rid her country of Russian influences in Moldova. At the same time, it is seeking connections with the European Union. Sandu feels this need more than ever since the Russian invasion of neighboring Ukraine last year - she emphasized once again during her visit to the Netherlands on Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 September.

Russian troops in Moldova

The challenges for the president are tremendous. Moldova, not a member of NATO and the EU, must internally deal with Russian influences in the areas of energy, politics, media, religion, language and two rebellious regions. One of those regions, Transnistria, has been occupied by Russia for more than 30 years - with actual troops on the ground. The Kremlin may also have dreamed of taking Moldova last year, once Ukraine was brought to its knees. It turned out differently.

On the other hand, the war in Ukraine has accelerated Moldova's EU accession process. Last year, the 27 EU leaders agreed that Ukraine and Moldova will become candidates for membership of the European Union. Now Sandu must prepare her country for that membership.

Moscow out- Brussels in

These two directions - getting away from Moscow and getting closer to Brussels - are discussed during this exclusive interview with Sandu. A conversation with the president about a country under constant threat - from hybrid warfare to energy protests.

In the Dutch version episodes of Perestrojkast traditionally ends with a joke by the great Moscow correspondent Joost Bosman. Unfortunately he couldn’t be reached. And unfortunately president Sandu couldn’t help us either with a joke. But thanks to Albanian prime minister Edi Rama this English episode finishes with a smile. At a forum in Slovenia he makes a joke about Putin, Prigozhin and the famous Russian time zones.

Hosts

Geert Jan Hahn

Floris Akkerman

The president

Maia Sandu

Joking prime minister

Edi Rama

Shownotes

-Interview with Sandu on Canadian CBC News. 

-About pro-Kremlin propaganda in Moldavië.

-Report Clingendael over Moldavië

-Fake news in Moldavië

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.