As I have often reported, political programmes of subversion and transformation often contain a religious component. Moldova and its place in the West's Anti-Russia campaign has been overshadowed by the war in neighbouring Ukraine as well as other global conflicts, but in fact the campaign is intensifying as Brussels seeks to fast-track both Chișinău and Kyiv into the EU. Whether that actually happens or not is yet to be seen.
Regardless, the May 2021 announcement of the Association Trio (Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia) sent a clear signal to Moscow and undoubtedly played a part in Putin's decision to invade Ukraine the following February. All three nations are miles away from meeting the standard criteria for membership but the moves signals that Brussels (the power-centre of the EU and also headquarters of NATO) views these nations as part of its orbit - a point contested by Moscow.
It can be argued as to whether or not Putin seeks direct control of these nations or whether his goal is to keep them neutral - buffer states that are off-limits to NATO and the placement of troops and missile systems.
Regardless, the 2022 invasion has driven Brussels to accelerate membership prospects and the bar can be lowered - if all the extant member states are in agreement, a prospect that seems unlikely as long as Orban, Fico, and others remain in power. Meloni for the present seems to be riding a wave of popularity and doesn't want to assume the role of antagonist or spoiler. And then of course we also have the Right-wing wave that just occurred in the EU elections - but these forces are divided on the question of Russia.
We've already witnessed an aggressive political-ecclesiastical programme in reference to Ukraine and the creation of a new autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church. It's clear that moves are being made in Moldova to subvert the Russian Orthodox Church which has a considerable presence there. Moldova (historic Bessarabia) has historic and ethnic ties to Romania and yet the lands were long contested with both Tsarist and Soviet Russia and a considerable Russian population lives there - especially in the separatist enclave of Transnistria, sandwiched between Moldova proper and southern Ukraine.
The fact that the Romanian Orthodox prelate is giving an interview to Radio Free Europe is telling and I don't doubt there are some nice incentives for priests willing to cross over and bring their parishes under the auspices of Bucharest. In some parts of rural Moldova, Orthodox priests play an unofficial political role and the Church is also part of the economy - parish money will now flow into different coffers. All of these factors play a part in this. And needless to say these priests can (potentially) influence local attitudes and if they're anti-Moscow, that will play out culturally and politically.
I would be curious to see if money is flowing from Chișinău to these priests and parishes. At that point I would want to know just where that money is coming from. It would not surprise me to learn it's coming from bank accounts associated with Western intelligence agencies. In fact, I'd be surprised if it wasn't.
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