In a speech to the European Parliament on Wednesday, Moldovan President Maia Sandu called on EU countries to rally behind her country’s European aspirations.
In her address to MEPs in Brussels, President Sandu outlined how Russia’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine had echoes of Europe’s troubled past, with its ‘unabashed land grabs, geopolitical conquests and spheres of influence’. At the same time, she underlined how Moldova and its citizens have responded to the shock, agony and disbelief of the war with kindness, generosity and compassion, hosting large numbers of Ukrainian refugees and providing humanitarian support to Ukraine.
Against the backdrop of the war, Moldova formally applied for EU membership in March 2022 and President Sandu stated her firm conviction that the country is part of the European community.
“We are aware that political decisions at the EU level have to be made. We are also aware that these are not easy decisions. But granting Moldova candidate status is the right decision. We belong in the European Union”, she said.
Finally, on Russia’s aggression, she pointed out that Moldova immediately condemned the war against Ukraine.
“We support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine as we always did. Crimea is Ukraine. Donbas is Ukraine. Kyiv is Ukraine. And they will always be,” she said.
You can watch her full speech again here. (18.05.2022)
