Ukraine supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova, and this is not the first time that Russia has used the argument of "protecting the Russian-speaking population".

"Lavrov says that Moscow will make every effort to protect the Russian-speaking population in Moldova. We have seen it before. This was exactly the fake excuse that Russia used to justify its invasion of Ukraine. We express our full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova," Oleg Nikolenko, the press secretary of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry wrote on Facebook.

Lavrov says Moscow will spare no effort in defending the Russian speaking population in Moldova. We have seen that. This was the exact false pretext Russia used to justify its invasion of Ukraine. We express our full support to Moldova’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

— Oleg Nikolenko (@OlegNikolenko_) September 1, 2022

On Wednesday, Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, said that Moscow will consider as an attack on Russia any actions that it sees as a threat to its "peacekeepers" in Transnistria.

The day before, Lavrov announced Russia's readiness "do everything" to guarantee the protection of the rights of Russian speakers in Moldova and advised the country "not to play the geopolitical games imposed by the West".

Read more: Transnistrian War Threat: Is There a Possibility of a Western Front for Ukraine.