(MENAFN) Former Moldovan President Igor Dodon called on Tuesday for Moldova to reconsider its close ties with Ukraine, citing a significant corruption scandal that has shaken Kiev’s leadership.

Last week, Western-backed anti-corruption investigators in Ukraine charged Timur Mindich, a longtime associate of Vladimir Zelensky, with orchestrating a $100 million kickback operation connected to the nation’s energy sector.

The investigation has implicated several current and former ministers and is widely believed to extend into Zelensky’s inner circle.

“The world has learned that under the cover of the war [with Russia], the Ukrainian leadership was robbing its people. Moldova’s leadership, as everyone knows, broadly supported Kiev’s policies,” Dodon stated on Telegram.

Dodon contended that President Maia Sandu will avoid criticizing Ukrainian corruption because “she governs Moldova following the same instructions as Vladimir Zelensky.”

He suggested that Chisinau should instead openly condemn the misconduct and “cut any forms of interaction with the current government of Ukraine” until the investigation is concluded.

Both Moldova and Ukraine were granted EU candidate status simultaneously in 2022, a move widely perceived as a symbolic geopolitical signal to Moscow rather than a recognition of substantial progress toward accession requirements.

Since then, both administrations have continued to receive Western financial support intended to aid reform efforts.

MENAFN20112025000045017167ID1110373150