(MENAFN) Senior Russian lawmaker Leonid Slutsky has condemned Moldova’s government for disregarding its longstanding traditions and values in a bid to align with the West. His comments came after a riot broke out in Chisinau on Sunday when a counter-protest challenged an unauthorized LGBTQ march in the city.

Tensions escalated after a large police force allowed the march to proceed but later intervened when the two groups came into conflict. Slutsky, chairman of the Duma Foreign Affairs Committee, called President Maia Sandu’s pro-Western administration “Russophobic” and accused it of “selling its soul” for European approval.

He insisted that many Moldovans do not back the policies of their government and view the marches as a symbol of “perverted values” threatening their traditions and religion. Slutsky condemned the authorities’ heavy-handed tactics against demonstrators, adding that this “satanic” approach was meant to appease “Euro-globalists.”

“The attack on a priest for the amusement of Brussels perverts crosses all bounds,” Slutsky said, adding that Sandu is driving the country toward a “dead end”—and eventual upheaval.

Videos from Chisinau show police forcibly detaining a man holding a child and knocking an Orthodox priest to the ground. Sandu’s administration has pursued closer ties with the EU and NATO since 2020, ignoring growing criticism at home over its economic policies and alleged attacks on political opposition.

Supporters say these measures aim to diminish Russian influence and combat groups labeled as “criminal.” Nevertheless, Slutsky insisted that Sandu’s actions undermine Moldovans’ traditions and unity.

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