Moldova is not at war, but it is surrounded by three different countries: Ukraine lies to the east, north and south. The peace in this small country of 3 million is tenuous despite the fact that nearly 100,000 people have sought refuge from bombings. 10% of the population lives in a region backed by the Russian government that is not a member of NATO or the European Union.
Moldova is neutral according to its constitution. It has to be that a tiny and poorly equipped military would not be able to put up a fight. The newly elected government here is adamant that it stands with its invaded neighbor.
Since the beginning of the war, it has taken steps that reflect the feeling that Moldova is in danger. The Commission for Emergency Situations banned news broadcasts from Russia in March. Pro-Moscow broadcasts need to present both sides in order to balance the government.
Tucker Carlson, the prime-time Fox News anchor, would not be allowed in Moldova, according to Valeriu Pasa, an expert on disinformation.
Carlson has previously parroted Russian talking points about Russia justifying aggression against Ukraine. Fox News didn't reply to the request for comment.
The nation of Moldova is bilingual. Under the Soviet Union, the official tongue was Russian. It is important to regulate broadcasts because most people don't understand the other.
He argued that it was not a simple matter of free speech versus censorship, but a matter of leveling the playing field between truly independent news media and media outlets backed by a foreign government. Russian state news is not news at all, as broadcasters deny war crimes and deny that there is even a war at all. Jail time and worse for legitimate, independent journalism in Moscow.
When it is a limited market, you have to make sure that the conditions are fair. Russia is an aggressive country and its media is an extension of its military force.
Nadine Gogu is the executive director of the Independent Journalism Center in Chi. In a country where popular media is highly partisan and propagandistic, these are not normal times.
She said that if we didn't have the war, maybe we could have a different discussion.
The impact of prohibiting Russian broadcasts may be less than expected. If not for the self-censorship of official Russian broadcasts, the Socialist opposition outlets would have had the same effect in the first days of the war.
Gogu said that it was strange to see how the newscasts were talking about refugees from Ukraine but not reporting on what was happening.
Every couple of years, the government gets thrown out over corruption, alternating between Communist and Socialist. The war in Ukraine made the issue less abstract and made it impossible to deny the savagery of the war they fled.
The most important issue of the day has led the typically outspoken to choose silence. It is a fight they cannot win at the moment. There are arguments to be made.
On April 19, Maia Sandu, elected in a 2020 landslide, signed a law prohibiting displays of the pro-war Z and V symbols used by the Russian military and its supporters. The fear is that Victory Day in Russia and Eastern Europe could be used to antagonize refugees and lend support to the war in Ukraine.
According to Interfax, Russia's embassy in Chișinău accused Moldovan officials of falling prey to the "cancel culture phenomenon being promoted by Western society."
Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry, said that the prohibition would result in "painful" consequences for Moldova.
The St. George's ribbon, which is used to celebrate contemporary Russian actions, is being banned by the governing Party of Action and Solidarity.
He said in an interview that it was a complicated decision and that it could have an effect on what we aim. He argued that banning the display of the symbol was required by a democracy in a time of war.
Marian said that any sign that promotes violence and war is unacceptable in a peaceful country like Moldova.
I think it is a logical decision. He said that we are more vulnerable because we have Russian agents who are supporting the invasion, and that there are fears that it could be next.
Do you have a news tip? C Davis is the reporter for Insider.
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