“Glorious Past, Age-Old Connection with Russia” Moscow and the Russo-Moldovan Historical Ties

Abstract

The article delves into the Russian assessment of the common Russo-Moldovan past, pronounced in the framework of the Moldovan EU referendum and the concurrent presidential elections in October-November 2024. Discourse analysis, as defined by Ricoeur and Fairclough, is applied to the public speeches of Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Occasionally, these are triangulated with the articulation of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. However, due to her frequent appearances concerning Moldova, it is Zakharova who represents Russia in this issue. Entirely, Moscow’s discourse on Moldovan history is tackled within the frames of the Russo-Moldovan past and present. With a confrontational approach, Zakharova slams the Moldovan EU referendum for having taken place under totalitarian circumstances. It was the West that plotted to convert Moldova into a NATO base. The Moldovans dismissed this course since they cherish their history and their centuries-long bond with Russia. As does Putin, the spokesperson, who oversees 1200 years of Slavic-Romanian encounters. While Zakharova recaps Russia’s impact on Moldova’s uniqueness from the 18th century to the Soviet era, she applies a descriptive representation of facts. Hence, she covertly exhorts the Moldovans to impede the country’s further integration in the West. Yet, Zakharova is unable to overcome the perpetual paradoxes throughout the ages – the similarity of Moldova and Romania, the constant economic decay, and the permanent Russian hegemony.