In Russia-West tug of war, Moldova sees EU as only option

Yahoo! News ^ | 8 April 2015 | Mihaela Rodina AFP

[WhiskeyX]

Chisinau (AFP) - Moldova's decision to sign key trade and political agreements with the European Union has cost it dearly, as its giant trading partner Russia swiftly punished it through an embargo strangling its farm and wine industries.

Nevertheless, in the tug of war between the West and Russia, Moldova's foreign minister told AFP that there can only be one option for the former Soviet state -- EU membership.

[elhombrelibre]

You’d have to be nuts to permanently give up your liberty to appease Putin so he could treat your nation like a soviet colony. I know some Freepers who would want to live under him, but people who lived under the Soviet empire are not fooled by Putin’s KGB/FSB propaganda machine.

[GeronL]

Russia helped take their land too, Transistria, in 1990-1992

very few countries recognize Transistria of course

[GeronL]

They already chopped off a piece of Moldova, it is between Moldova and Ukraine now. Russia might even use it as a second front in Ukraine now.

[chajin]

The nearby town to the Chajin home has been sister city to Balti (pronounced “belts,” don’t ask me why), which I think is the second largest city in Moldova after the capital Chisinau. The people I know who have been there say it is about as third-world as a European city could be, but they value their freedom more than toadying up to Russia for the sake of avoiding battle. I wish that could be said of us.

[Hawthorn]

>> very few countries recognize Transistria of course <<

Uhh, I think something has been mis-spelled here.

Shouldn't it be Transistoria?

[Cossak]

It is territory situated near river Dniester

[Cossak]

To colonize Moldova Putin must annex Ukraine first to have access to Moldova’s border. May be he knows that seizing poverty ridden country is not profitable business.
Today thousands hundreds Moldovans are in Russia as guestworkers, after joining Moldova to EU they will lose job opportunities in Russia. May be it will make them happy, who knows. Bulgaria and Baltian countries have lost industry and circa 30% of their populace after USSR dissolve and are happy to have liberty.