Moldova has postponed the accreditation of the new Russian ambassador due to unfriendly statements from the Kremlin.

He stated this during a broadcast on TV8, as reported by Ukrinform.

Popshoy criticized the January visit of Russian Ambassador Oleg Ozerov to the unrecognized Transnistria, which, according to the minister, "does not contribute in any way" to the improvement of relations and understanding between Moldova and Russia.

Popshoy pointed out that Chisinau does not encourage the tradition of some foreign ambassadors traveling uncoordinated to the Transnistrian region for meetings with representatives of the so-called local authorities.

“Perhaps this is a subtle message, a gesture of such ‘friendship’ that they are trying to convey to us. Those who have eyes to see and ears to hear understand that this is not entirely the case, especially in the context of Russian drones violating our airspace and falling near citizens' homes,” Popshoy stated.

He reminded that Ozerov cannot hold official meetings as he is not yet accredited.

“Such meetings cannot take place even when the ambassador is approved but not yet accredited. I don’t know if this meeting can be called a 'high-level meeting', nor if there are any 'high-level officials' in the Transnistrian region, which is part of Moldova, making the situation unclear,” the minister said.

According to the head of the foreign affairs ministry, there are currently no substantial grounds for denying the accreditation of Oleg Ozerov as the ambassador of Russia in Chisinau. However, he did not specify how long the procedure would take, considering that the Russian diplomat has been waiting for nearly 5 months.

Popshoy stated that the process is being hindered by unfriendly statements from the Kremlin towards Moldova.

“He was close to accreditation, but during those same days, there was a wave of extremely unfriendly and even aggressive statements towards Moldova from certain Russian representatives, which is why the decision was postponed,” Popshoy emphasized.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu stated at the beginning of February that the procedure for appointing the Russian ambassador has been delayed due to “a large number of false and unfriendly statements from the Kremlin towards the Republic of Moldova.” She noted that the issue should be resolved soon.

As reported by Ukrinform, the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to close the Russian Cultural Center in the capital Chisinau following an incident involving a violation of Moldova's airspace and the falling of drones in the Taraclia district on February 13.