Moldovan President Maia Sandu believes that if Russia had successfully taken over Ukraine, it would have continued its expansion - by bringing its troops to Moldova.

Source: Sandu said this in an interview with the Financial Times, reports European Pravda

Quote: "I don't believe they [the Russians - ed.] would have stopped at the border. We are only safe today thanks to Ukraine," the President of Moldova emphasised, adding that in the early weeks of the full-scale invasion, when such a threat still existed, the country focused on looking after the refugees.

Asked whether she planned to leave Moldova in the event of an attack by the Russian Federation, Sandu replied that she did not.

"I would have stayed [in Moldova - ed.], but our expectation was that we would have had to help as many of our people as possible cross to a safe place, which is [neighbouring] Romania," the president added.

According to Sandu, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is an attempt to "remake the Soviet Union".

"They want to bring back the old days. And we don't want this. Moldova has been part of the buffer zone for 30 years, and for us this meant poverty, corruption, bad governance, emigration. We want to be part of the democratic world," she said.

The Financial Times journalist notes that "Sandu seldom drinks but readily toasts victory for Ukraine."

Back in February, commenting on and condemning the Russian war of aggression, the Moldovan president stressed that there was a serious threat that Moldova might be occupied by Russian troops, but now this risk has significantly diminished due to the successful actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

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