ISTANBUL

Amid deteriorating relations with Russia and a push to join the EU, the Moldovan president on Monday put forward a legislative proposal for the creation of a center to combat disinformation and propaganda.

Addressing a press conference in the capital Chisinau, Maia Sandu said the National Center for Informational Defense and Combating Propaganda, symbolically named Patriot, will convey “truthful information to the general public” and “identify, evaluate and combat disinformation to eliminate the risks generated by hybrid threats and disinformation on national security.”

She claimed that Russia and criminal groups are launching hybrid attacks against Moldova.

"Russia cannot attack our country militarily, but constantly attacks it informationally, through lies, propaganda, disinformation … to sow hatred in the Republic of Moldova, to weaken our trust in others, trust in our state,” she said.

“Unfortunately, on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, we have persons and networks, well established, paid with foreign money … and have only one role, to create forgeries, to propagate the Kremlin's lies and to block Moldova's path to the European Union."