Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has likened the EU to a 'fruit press' for countries, which strips them of their sovereignty and gives back nothing in return. Zakharova made the remark in an interview on Sputnik Radio on Wednesday, commenting on the upcoming referendum on EU integration in Moldova.

Moldova is a former Soviet republic sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine. The country has taken a distinctively pro-Western course since 2020, when President Maia Sandu came to power. Her government has been actively pushing for EU and NATO membership, going as far as banning critics and calling on Brussels to sanction those opposed to the idea.

Despite protests and widespread criticism of Sandu's policies, she is currently seeking reelection in the upcoming presidential election on October 20, which coincides with a referendum on EU accession.

According to Zakharova, Moldova should think twice before joining the bloc.

"The EU's tactic is to play with you and dump you. That's what they do to everyone they lure, deceive, and then simply dispose of as they see fit," she stated, adding that there have been no "success stories" of countries that have joined the bloc over the past two decades, "unless one takes into account the gay parades."

"If we talk about the economy - for countries that have abandoned their national identity... for a chance to be invited into the EU's waiting room - such success stories simply do not exist," Zakharova argued.

The official slammed Brussels for "applauding" Sandu's policies of "oppression" amid the push for EU integration, referring to the reported closure of news outlets in the country that are not pro-Western, as well as the persecution of opposition figures. According to Zakharova, the EU is "trying to absorb and subjugate Moldova" and make "slaves" out of its people.

Moldova is a monstrous story about how NATO-centric structures like the EU... are pumping out the juices out of countries... I don't mean natural resources, they are throwing people into this fruit press and squeeze out... Moldova's national identity... within the framework of their North Atlantic mentality. It is atrocious.

According to Zakharova, both Sandu and her Western backers "completely ignore" the opinion of the people on EU integration, "hiding behind the term 'democracy.'" She referred to the fact that Sandu's Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) secured only about 30% in last year's mayoral and county administration elections, and in every major city, including Chisinau, opposition candidates gained the upper hand.

Last week, anti-government protesters marched through the streets of Chisinau with banners and empty pots, denouncing Sandu and her policies. The demonstrators accused Sandu's administration of driving the country to poverty and called for the president to step down.
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