Ukrainian community leader in Molodova backs President Sandu’s pro-EU course

CHIȘINĂU – Dmitrii Lecartev, who heads the National Congress of Ukrainians in Moldova (NCUM), met with President Maia Sandu on Aug. 26 during an official reception that was marking the country’s 34th Independence Day.

Lecartev represents Moldova’s 240,000-strong Ukrainian community and he voiced support for Sandu’s pro-European agenda, calling it a “clear and irreversible” path. 

Ukrainians make up nearly 10 percent of Moldova’s population. 

“Ukrainians in Moldova are the 10 percent who could carry European integration forward and help stabilize the country’s demographic trends,” Lecartev said earlier in his column.

Sandu told the gathering that Moldova has a historic opportunity to join “the safest and most successful space of peace, freedom, and justice in the world.”

In turn, Lecartev said Moldova’s EU choice is also “our chance for stability, development, and a decent life for everyone. Together, we are building the future, and I believe it will be bright and happy.”