Moscow (dpa) - In an open letter to US president-elect Donald Trump published Sunday, an influential pro-western politician from the former Soviet republic of Moldova has offered his nation as "a bridge, not a battleground, between East and West.""Instead of being mired in a new cold war, we want to move forward with a free-market economy, integrated with the West but at peace with the East," wrote Vlad Plahotniuc of the ruling Democratic Party of Moldova.Plahotniuc is one of the richest businessmen in one of Europe‘s poorest nations. He took over leadership of the party in December.Moldova, a nation of 3.5 million sandwiched between EU member Romania and Ukraine, is torn between a pro-Western government and a pro-Russian opposition. Pro-Russian Socialist Igor Dodon was elected president at the end of 2016."I am hopeful that Mr Trump‘s non-confrontational approach to Moscow will not only reduce tensions between your countries, but also reduce the pressure on countries like ours to choose sides," Plahotniuc wrote."While Moldova doesn‘t want to be pulled back into Moscow‘s orbit, we also know that we cannot prosper as a pawn in the power-struggle between East and West."A controversial figure, Plahotniuc is accused of interfering in politics from the sidelines, despite previously not holding any political office himself. He is also accused of corruption.Observers say his letter may be part of a campaign to become prime minister.
