President on Istanbul peace talks and Moldova's security

With a war at its border, the Republic of Moldova is not entirely safe; however, for now, there are no direct threats to the country's security, President Maia Sandu said. The head of state assured that she would make every effort to ensure the security of Moldova's citizens and also mentioned that she does not expect an optimistic outcome from the peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, set to take place on May 15 in Istanbul (Turkey).


"Threats always exist when there is a war in the region. We do not have a threat such as something can happen tomorrow, putting the lives of our citizens in danger. The fact that we have a war in the region is a threat to everyone, and that Russia is the aggressor with imperialist goals - we all see that. There are no direct threats, but there are consequences for us and our economy, for our investors because we cannot increase investments, as investors are afraid to bring their capital to the Republic of Moldova. There are many problems due to this war, but the most horrific is what is happening in Ukraine," stated Maia Sandu on a TV8 broadcast.


The president said she wishes for peace in Ukraine; however, she doesn't foresee an optimistic scenario for the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia scheduled for May 15 in Istanbul, because "Kremlin does not want peace."


"We want peace, but I don't know if we can be optimistic because Moscow does not want peace. Peace is possible, but for this to happen, Kremlin should want this peace. I strongly hope they will find a solution, but based on what we see in recent months, I don't see an optimistic scenario," expressed Maia Sandu.


Maia Sandu emphasized that in 2022 no one believed there would be a war in Ukraine, and as president, she has taken on the mission of ensuring the security of Moldova's citizens. "Every day is a stress for me," shared Maia Sandu.


"Everyone fears war; war is the most horrific thing that can happen. We all want our families to be safe. As the guarantor of citizens' security, for me, this task is one of the most challenging. When the war began, no one believed such a thing was possible in our century, in our region. Of course, I had great emotions when the war in Ukraine began. Every day is a stress for me - how to do everything, and I will do everything so that people feel safe; I will continue to use all political and diplomatic tools to ensure citizens' security," assured the president.


Following a summit hosted on Saturday in Kyiv by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's European allies, notably French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz gave Russian President Vladimir Putin an ultimatum to unconditionally accept a 30-day ceasefire in the war in Ukraine starting Monday, threatening that otherwise they will impose new economic sanctions on Russia and intensify the delivery of weapons to Kyiv.

Moscow reacted by proposing direct negotiations with Kyiv to start on May 15 in Istanbul, based on the unfinished agreement from the last negotiations held there in the spring of 2022.

Foreign ministers from six European countries, namely France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom, plus the EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, met in London on Monday. At the end of the meeting, they again called on Russia to accept an "immediate and unconditional 30-day ceasefire to create a space for discussions for a just and lasting peace."