Sputnik International By Svetlana Ekimenko
Relations between Russia and Moldova began to deteriorate after President Maia Sandu, who adheres to a pro-European policy, came to power in the republic at the end of 2020. There followed political crackdowns, media purges, and the recent arrest of Gagauzia leader Evgenia Gutsul.
The detention of Archbishop Markell at Chisinau International Airport fits seamlessly into Moldova’s designated role as a prime testing ground for EU-driven hybrid pressures, Dr. Marco Marsili, researcher at Cà Foscari University of Venice, told Sputnik.
Preventing the Archbishop from flying to attend the Holy Fire ceremony in Jerusalem just days before Orthodox Easter risks “undermining religious freedom and deepening the divide between church and state,” said the pundit.
He underscored Moldova’s “strategic vulnerability” due to its proximity to Ukraine, its complex multiethnic composition, coveted EU candidate status, and upcoming September parliamentary elections…
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