Russia on Monday alleged there were “anomalies” in Moldova’s count for a presidential election and a referendum on joining the European Union and said the country’s president must “prove” claims there had been foreign interference.
Final votes were still being counted in Moldova, with pro-EU president Maia Sandu blaming “criminal groups” working with “foreign forces” — alluding to Moscow — in interfering in the tiny ex-Soviet country.
Sandu applied for Moldova to join the EU following Moscow’s 2022 attack on neighbouring Ukraine.
“The data that we are currently seeing leads to many, many questions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
“What we are seeing is a kind of mechanical, hard to explain rate of increase of votes in favour of Sandu and in favour of the referendum participants who are for an orientation towards the European Union,” he said.
He called on Sandu to present evidence to back up her allegations of election interference.
“These are quite serious accusations… If she did not receive votes due to some criminal gangs she must present evidence,” he said.
Chisinau officials accused a fugitive pro-Russian politician Ilan Shor — who lives in Russia — of organising a massive vote-buying scheme.
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