Since history is a thing? Beside being part of the USSR, part of Moldova has also been in the Russian empire. Also a good portion of the population identifies as Russian.
"History" might be a thing but Moldova has not been part of the USSR for more than 30 years now, and has been part of the Russian Empire for only about a hundred years (after the peace of 1812 and until shortly after the first World War). It was one of the shortest-lived imperial possessions.
> Also a good portion of the population identifies as Russian.
Said "good portion" is about 4%, according to the latest census [1]. Balti is the only municipality with a substantial Russian population. USSR politics means that much of the Moldavian population speaks Russian (tl;dr you had to learn it at school and were generally forced to use it in any public setting) but only a small minority of the Moldavian population "identifies" as Russian.
Pre-emptive "but ackshually": 1. nothing wrong with identifying as Russian, this is a comment on population statistics 2. the census was conducted the same year that a pro-Russian administration was voted into power so yes, the statistics are perfectly representative, no one had second thoughts about saying they were Russian.
that same kind of thinking encouraged Russia to go on a 3-day march on Kyiv.
Ask an average participant of that march how that has gone for them.
Oh wait
Hmmm, you woke up a lot of former Soviet Bloc demons there.
Moldova isn't Russia, but has a sizeable Russian-speaking minority concentrated in a generally non-recognized separatist state of Transnistria. This minority is mostly Putin-oriented and despises the West and anything Western-related.
Until/unless Russian imperial intents are defeated or collapse on their own, the risk of Russia reabsorbing parts or whole of Moldova stays real, though mostly contingent on defeating and reabsorbing Ukraine first.
There are many countries where Russian is spoken as a language and when people identify as "Russian" it is mostly the traditions and history. It has nothing to do with geopolitics.
It is language, religion, family values, holidays, food, celebrations, traditions, etc.... This is what is meant by identifying as Russian.
There are people proud to say they have this heritage, it doesn't mean you are a Putin lover and want to recapture the former USSR.
ossobuco|1 year ago
alxlaz|1 year ago
> Also a good portion of the population identifies as Russian.
Said "good portion" is about 4%, according to the latest census [1]. Balti is the only municipality with a substantial Russian population. USSR politics means that much of the Moldavian population speaks Russian (tl;dr you had to learn it at school and were generally forced to use it in any public setting) but only a small minority of the Moldavian population "identifies" as Russian.
Pre-emptive "but ackshually": 1. nothing wrong with identifying as Russian, this is a comment on population statistics 2. the census was conducted the same year that a pro-Russian administration was voted into power so yes, the statistics are perfectly representative, no one had second thoughts about saying they were Russian.
1. https://statistica.gov.md/en/population-and-housing-census-i... .
aa_is_op|1 year ago
Let's tamper down with the Russian imperialism. We see how well that's been going in Ukraine and the Baltics.
walterlw|1 year ago
inglor_cz|1 year ago
Moldova isn't Russia, but has a sizeable Russian-speaking minority concentrated in a generally non-recognized separatist state of Transnistria. This minority is mostly Putin-oriented and despises the West and anything Western-related.
Until/unless Russian imperial intents are defeated or collapse on their own, the risk of Russia reabsorbing parts or whole of Moldova stays real, though mostly contingent on defeating and reabsorbing Ukraine first.
throwaway7ahgb|1 year ago
It is language, religion, family values, holidays, food, celebrations, traditions, etc.... This is what is meant by identifying as Russian.
There are people proud to say they have this heritage, it doesn't mean you are a Putin lover and want to recapture the former USSR.
teractiveodular|1 year ago
razius|1 year ago
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