COMRAT, Moldova (AP) Across the border from war-engulfed Ukraine, tiny, impoverished Moldova an ex-Soviet republic now looking eagerly Westward has watched with trepidation as the Russian invasion unfolds.
In Gagauzia, a small, autonomous part of the country thats traditionally felt closer to the Kremlin than the West, people would normally back Russia, which they never wanted to leave when Moldova gained independence. But this time, most have trouble identifying with either side in the war.
Anna Koejoglo says shes deeply conflicted.
I have sisters (in Ukraine), I have nephews there, my own son is in Kyiv, the 52-year-old said, quickly adding that her other, younger, son is studying in Russia.
My heart is (broken), my insides are burning, she told The Associated Press.
Koejoglo is one of Moldovas 160,000 Gagauz, an Orthodox Christian people of Turkic origin who were settled there by the Russian Empire in the 19th century. They make up over 80% of Gagauzias population, but only 5% of Moldovas 2.6 million people.
In the early 1990s, when landlocked Moldova voted to leave the Soviet Union, its Gagauz and Russian minorities wanted to stay. But unlike Russian-backed separatists in eastern Moldova who took up arms in 1992 to establish the unrecognized, breakaway Trans-Dniester area which Russia essentially controls, maintaining some 1,500 troops there the Gagauz in the south chose to compromise.
In 1994, they reached an agreement with the government in Moldovas capital, Chisinau, settling for a high degree of autonomy. Still, Gagauzia has maintained a strong relationship with Russia, where many Gagauz find education and job opportunities. Its population generally opposes the pro-Western shift embraced by ethnic Moldovans who account for 75% of the countrys people.
For Peotr Sarangi, a 25-year-old Gagauz, the old ties still hold strong.
(The) Gagauzian population supports Russia more, many remain pro-Russian, he said.
Although Moldova is neutral militarily and has no plans to join NATO, it formally applied for EU membership when the Russian invasion began. Its also taken in about a tenth of the more than 2.3 million Ukrainians who fled their country for safety.
Ilona Manolo, a 20-year-old Gagauz, has no qualms in laying the blame with Moscow. I think that Russia is at fault. ... Id rather support (Ukrainian) refugees, than Russia, she said.
Theres similar sentiment elsewhere among Moldovas rich patchwork of ethnic minorities even expressed by ethnic Russians who live outside the separatist region of Trans-Dniester.
One of the latter group, Nikola Sidorov, described the invasion of Ukraine as a terrible thing. He said he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin went too far (and) needs to calm down.
The 79-year-old added that the issue has become a subject of heated debates among his ethnic kin in Moldovas second largest city, Balti, where ethnic Russians make up some 15% of the population.
An ethnic Ukrainian who lives in Balti said her sympathies were divided.
Im very sorry for the people of Ukraine ... but I also feel sorry for Russians, said Iulia Popovic, 66. I understand that it is all (happening because of) politics and that the situation is very difficult.
___
Follow the APs coverage of the Ukraine crisis at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Read the original post:
Invasion jolts Russia's friends in tiny West-leaning Moldova - The Associated Press - en Espaol
- Russia urges all sides to 'show restraint' after Iranian drone, missile attack on Israel - The Times of Israel - April 14th, 2024 [April 14th, 2024]
- China, Russia and Iran Are Rebuilding Empires to Defeat US, Europe - Bloomberg - April 14th, 2024 [April 14th, 2024]
- Ukraine appears to strike weapons system that's 'backbone' of Russia's EW - Business Insider - April 14th, 2024 [April 14th, 2024]
- Biden's Call: Survivors Say Russians Tortured Them With Twisted Sexual Abuse Named After Biden - The Daily Beast - April 14th, 2024 [April 14th, 2024]
- Drones saturate the skies over Ukraine, largely paralyzing battlefield - The Washington Post - April 14th, 2024 [April 14th, 2024]
- Ukrainians confront the once unthinkable: Losing war to Russia - Los Angeles Times - April 14th, 2024 [April 14th, 2024]
- US intelligence finding shows China surging equipment sales to Russia to help war effort in Ukraine - The Associated Press - April 14th, 2024 [April 14th, 2024]
- Reporter's notebook: Finland, happiness, saunas, NATO and the threat from Russia - USA TODAY - April 14th, 2024 [April 14th, 2024]
- Russian troops advance in Ukraine as Kyiv runs low on air defenses - The Washington Post - April 14th, 2024 [April 14th, 2024]
- Situation in east Ukraine has 'deteriorated significantly,' Kyiv commander says - POLITICO Europe - April 14th, 2024 [April 14th, 2024]
- Water levels rise and homes flood in Russia after a dam bursts near the Kazakhstan border - The Associated Press - April 14th, 2024 [April 14th, 2024]
- Trump thought Ukraine must be part of Russia during presidency, book says - The Guardian US - April 14th, 2024 [April 14th, 2024]
- Former Trump Adviser Fiona Hill Says Trump Believed Ukraine Was 'Part Of Russia' - Forbes - April 14th, 2024 [April 14th, 2024]
- US Imposes Sanctions on Use of Russian Metals on Exchanges - Bloomberg - April 14th, 2024 [April 14th, 2024]
- Russia Is Buying Politicians in Europe. Is It Happening Here Too? - The New Republic - April 14th, 2024 [April 14th, 2024]
- Western weakness in Ukraine could provoke a far bigger war with Russia - Atlantic Council - April 14th, 2024 [April 14th, 2024]
- NATO Countries Struggle to Recruit Troops to Counter Russia Threat - Foreign Policy - April 14th, 2024 [April 14th, 2024]
- Russia-Ukraine war live: US House speaker negotiates with White House over wartime funding for Ukraine - The Guardian - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- FBI chief to share concerns of organized attack in US after Russia massacre - The Hill - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- After Russia, FBI concerned about coordinated attack in US - NewsNation Now - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- How Russia's disinformation campaign seeps into US views - Voice of America - VOA News - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- Russia-Ukraine war: Ukraine parliament passes law to boost conscripts and fill army ranks - The Associated Press - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- U.S. Commander in Europe Says Russia Is a 'Chronic Threat' to World - Department of Defense - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- WATCH: Pentagon holds news briefing as general warns Ukraine will soon be outgunned by Russia - PBS NewsHour - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- Ukraine war: How to check Russia's momentum - The Interpreter - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- What Washington got wrong about Niger and Russia - Responsible Statecraft - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- Ukraine war: battlefield tipping in Russia's favour as Kyiv begs allies for more arms - The Conversation - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- Ukrainian parliament adopts law to expand military draft - The Washington Post - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- Russian Orthodox Church declares Holy War against Ukraine and West - Atlantic Council - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- In Russia's Far East, a new heavy-lift rocket blasts off into space after two aborted launches - The Associated Press - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- Why are floods in Russia and Kazakhstan so bad this year? - Reuters - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- Russian Air Force Has Lost 10 Percent of Fleet in Ukraine - Air & Space Forces Magazine - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- Russia and the Far-Right: Insights From Ten European Countries - International Centre for Counter-Terrorism - The Hague - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- Russia's migrants and ethnic minorities shiver at new Putin terror crackdown - POLITICO Europe - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- France talks tough on Ukraine while gobbling up more Russian gas - POLITICO Europe - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- Opinion | Everyone Wants to Seize Russia's Money. It's a Terrible Idea. - The New York Times - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- Russia Seizes Over 650,000 Acres Of Farmland And Other Assets From Company With Ties To 'Unfriendly' Country - Yahoo Finance - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- New Plot Striking the Heart of Russia Is Nightmare for Putin - The Daily Beast - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- Russia's army is 15% larger than when it attacked Ukraine: US general - Business Insider - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- 'His life is at risk': Lawmaker calls for release of jailed Russia critic - MSNBC - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- Tommy Tubervilles line on Ukraine, Russia goes from bad to worse - MSNBC - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- Russia Doing Everything to Stop Ukraines Counteroffensive, Zelensky Says - The New York Times - July 17th, 2023 [July 17th, 2023]
- An Arctic 'Great Game' as NATO allies and Russia face off in far north - The Washington Post - July 17th, 2023 [July 17th, 2023]
- Trouble in Paradise? New Disputes Cloud Russia-Turkey Relations - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace - July 17th, 2023 [July 17th, 2023]
- What We Know About the Crimea Bridge Attack - The New York Times - July 17th, 2023 [July 17th, 2023]
- Russia Looks to Economic Redistribution to Shore Up the Regime - The Moscow Times - July 17th, 2023 [July 17th, 2023]
- Biden and emissary for Pope Francis to meet on Russia's deportations of Ukrainian children - POLITICO - July 17th, 2023 [July 17th, 2023]
- Russia: Ukraine to blame for fatal attack on key bridge in Crimea - The Hill - July 17th, 2023 [July 17th, 2023]
- Opinion | How Putin Broke Russia - The New York Times - July 17th, 2023 [July 17th, 2023]
- Explosions on Crimean Bridge Disrupt Key Link to Russia - The New York Times - July 17th, 2023 [July 17th, 2023]
- Moscow halts grain deal in what UN calls a global blow to people in need - Yahoo News - July 17th, 2023 [July 17th, 2023]
- Explosions disrupt traffic on a key bridge from Crimea to Russia's mainland - NPR - July 17th, 2023 [July 17th, 2023]
- Ukrainian helicopter crew say women flash them as they fly overhead to boost their morale fighting Russia - Yahoo News - July 17th, 2023 [July 17th, 2023]
- Russia halts traffic over Crimea bridge after Ukrainian attack - Financial Times - July 17th, 2023 [July 17th, 2023]
- Key Russian bridge to Crimea is struck again, with Moscow blaming Kyiv for attack that killed 2 - Yahoo News - July 17th, 2023 [July 17th, 2023]
- The bridge to Crimea is crucial to Russia's war effort in Ukraine and to asserting Moscow's control - Yahoo News - July 17th, 2023 [July 17th, 2023]
- Russia's Embassy in Washington is enmeshed in a different kind of war. - The New York Times - July 17th, 2023 [July 17th, 2023]
- A deal that lets Ukraine export grain during its war with Russia is about to expire - NPR - July 17th, 2023 [July 17th, 2023]
- China and Russia to Hold Joint Naval Drills - The Moscow Times - July 17th, 2023 [July 17th, 2023]
- UK announces new sanctions in response to Russia's forced ... - GOV.UK - July 17th, 2023 [July 17th, 2023]
- Russia Looks to Economic Redistribution to Shore Up the Regime - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace - July 17th, 2023 [July 17th, 2023]
- Raiffeisen Bank Hopes War Ends 'Soon' to Avoid Costly Russia Exit Reuters - The Moscow Times - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Ex-Wagner Group soldier on the failed rebellion in Russia, Prigozhin fallout - Yahoo News - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Who Is Aleksandr Lukashenko? - The New York Times - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Photos Leak of Russias Mercenary Boss in Ridiculous Disguises - Yahoo! Voices - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- U.S. is expected to announce it will send cluster munitions to Ukraine - NPR - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- The Russia-Ukraine War Changed This Finland Company Forever - The New York Times - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Russia is split, chain of command crumbles Zelenskyy - Yahoo News - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Russia Now Using Parachute Flares In Attempts To Down U.S. MQ-9 Reapers - The War Zone - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Explosions in Lviv in Western Ukraine Injure at Least 4 - The New York Times - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Pentagon Aims to Stop China and Russia from Spying on Academia | Air & Space Forces Magazine - Air & Space Forces Magazine - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Putin says Russia positions nuclear bombs in Belarus as warning to West - Reuters - June 16th, 2023 [June 16th, 2023]
- Russia says it destroyed Leopard tanks, it turned out to be tractors - Euronews - June 16th, 2023 [June 16th, 2023]
- The Straits Times - Peace is not 'no war' and derisking has risks: Josep Borrell | EEAS - EEAS - June 16th, 2023 [June 16th, 2023]
- Russia's latest space agency mission: raising a militia for the war in Ukraine - Financial Times - June 16th, 2023 [June 16th, 2023]
- Blinken: US has no reason to adjust nuclear posture over Russias weapons transfer to Belarus - The Hill - June 16th, 2023 [June 16th, 2023]
- Orbn still vetoing EU's Russia sanctions over bank insult - EUobserver - June 16th, 2023 [June 16th, 2023]
- Putin's Silence Heralds the Return of Russia's Governors as a Political Force - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace - June 16th, 2023 [June 16th, 2023]
- How Russia Went from Ally to Adversary - The New Yorker - June 16th, 2023 [June 16th, 2023]
- Opinion | Joining NATO Wont Keep the Peace in Ukraine - The New York Times - June 16th, 2023 [June 16th, 2023]