DISINFO: Russophobia has rapidly spread in Moldova thanks to the support of the West
SUMMARY
Russophobia has rapidly spread in Moldova, thanks to the support of Western countries. The Russian-speaking population is rapidly abandoning the country, seeing no prospects for development. Russian language courses are being eliminated from schools[...].
RESPONSE
This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative aiming to discredit Moldovan President Maia Sandu and her party, presenting them as Western puppets. It fits a recurring pro-Kremlin narrative alleging that Russophobia and anti-Russian attitudes are rampant in countries of the former Soviet Union, targeting especially those countries that prioritise integration with the EU.
In June 2022, Moldova was granted EU candidate status. Pro-Kremlin outlets tend to portray Moldova’s legitimate decisions in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as ‘Russophobic’.
The claim about alleged significant reduction of schools with Russian language of instruction in Moldova is an attempt at manipulation. The number of secondary schools in Moldova has indeed dropped over the past decade due to decrease in the number of pupils, particularly in rural areas. The optimisation of the schooling system, however, did not specifically target schools with Russian as a language of instruction. See our debunk of an earlier topical disinformation case here.
Read similar cases claiming that Moldova is under external control, that Moldova became a Western semi-colony, that The current Moldovan government imposes Russophobia on the country, that Moldova gets rid of everything Russian, that Russian, the language of interethnic communication, is being destroyed by the Moldovan authorities and that In two years Maia Sandu has closed hundreds of schools in Moldova.