Opinion - Putin suffers another massive defeat, this time in Moldova

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Russian President Vladimir Putin is having a really bad week.

White House National Security Communications advisor John Kirby confirmed that Russia’s military is losing 1,200 soldiers a day in Ukraine. Failing to win on the battlefield, Putin is now desperately resorting to trying to buy his would-be empire with rubles.

But on Monday, Putin’s motley crew of oligarchs failed him yet again. This time it was in Moldova. Russia allegedly spent $15 million to bribe Moldovan voters against moving toward European Union membership. Moldovans, however, narrowly approved changes to their constitution that commit the country to joining the EU.

The bribery plan was allegedly perpetrated by Ilan Shor, who was “accused of laundering the money and orchestrating the network, despite his political party being banned [in Moldova].” Shor is a Moldovan-Israeli industry mogul.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/opinion-putin-suffers-another-massive-110000190.html

[lapfog_1]

1. Moldova needs to expel the Russian army

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_military_presence_in_Transnistria

and put an end to Russian influence... Moldova borders Romania to the west and Ukraine to the east.

[Igel]

2. That should have happened long ago.

However, Moldova has a horrible army and it's unclear that they'd have a very easy time accomplishing it. Depends rather on what the Russia soldiers do with the truly massive amounts of munitions and arms that they have in "Transdnistria".

Then again, the 0.8% margin of victory was hardly a "mandate." I remember not long ago when a substantial margin of victory, 4, 5, 6%, was necessary. Now, a 40k vote margin of victory is a "mandate" in the US (where a trivially larger one was previously meaningless). I imagine that in Moldova that could be 400 votes that gives mission to pure majoritarianism.

[maxsolomon]

3. Yeah, "Massive Defeat" is hyperbolic.

Moldova voted narrowly to change their Constitution to allow EU membership. They're not invited yet.

Russia still occupies Transnistria and Moldova can't, or won't try, to dislodge them. So, Russia just waits. Maybe they're amplify that insurgency when they've resolved Ukraine, maybe not. The important thing is to have a club to threaten the Moldovans with.