Moscow. Vladimir Voronin, the newly elected Communist president of Moldova, coming to office after a classic landslide, visited the Russian capital, it being his first official journey abroad. Earlier Comrade Voronin had dwelt at length on GUUAM, saying unpleasant things, and on his desire to have Moldova join the Russia-Belarus Union, being quite enthusiastic, especially now that Russia has paid $5 million for the release from bourgeois jail of the Union’s State Secretary Pavel Borodin.
On the date Comrade Voronin was to meet President Vladimir Putin, his Russian counterpart attended a board meeting of the Russian Finance Ministry, lashing out at the policy of his favorite, Aleksei Kuprin. The president’s backtracking made it obvious that the Russian economy was in for dramatic changes.
What did the Russian president’s speech have to do with Voronin and their meeting? A great deal, because the Moldovan Communist leader has repeatedly stressed that the economy means politics. It is simultaneously obvious that Russia cannot afford to sustain Moldova, even if its Red leadership joins the country to the alliance with Alyaksandr Lukashenka (which alliance is more declarative than real). In fact, Russia is unable to sustain Belarus. Nor was it coincidental that precisely when Comrade Voronin deigned to visit Moscow his Belarusian counterpart and party comrade flew all the way to Yekaterinburg to “develop relationships.” This is a tried and true Lukashenka tactic, looking for money in the regions and keeping them reminded of his presence, even if meeting with officials at a level lower than Kremlin’s (having been regularly refused such top-level audiences); in any case, contacts with Russian governors will do for now.
This author does not rule out the possibility of positive changes in Moldovan-Russian relations under a Communist president. Au contraire. Moscow might well help Comrade Voronin regain possession of Transnistria, but no mind-boggling integration. Not on your life! Projects like that require heavy financing and the current Russian political leadership is quite pragmatic; they can make impressive declarations, but will never spend an extra ruble to translate such declarations in an unsavory reality. Vladimir Putin may keep telling Voronin about his favoring the latter’s idea of joining Chi ь s in я a u to Moscow and Mensk, but the Russian president’s speech at the Finance Ministry is additional evidence that he is fully aware of the Russian economy’s actual capabilities, meaning that he knows what Russia can and cannot do.
Therefore, assuming that Comrade Voronin will want to remain in office for years to come, he will have to alter his modus operandi and turn to the West for help. This is quite a nuisance, of course, for it is very humiliating having to ask the class enemy for help, but there is really no alternative.
