och in ă ▁was ▁intr igu ed ▁by ▁Len in ' s ▁promise ▁of ▁self - det erm ination ▁for ▁all ▁of ▁Russia ' s ▁minor ities : ▁" As ▁a ▁Mold av ian , ▁I ▁found ▁this ▁issue ▁to ▁be ▁one ▁of ▁greatest ▁interest ". ▁Sm och in ă ▁was ▁interested ▁in ▁finding ▁out ▁Len in ' s ▁level ▁of ▁commit ment ▁in ▁this ▁respect , ▁and ▁was ▁received ▁for ▁an ▁interview ▁( as ▁he ▁re called , ▁this ▁was ▁only ▁possible ▁because ▁one ▁of ▁Len in ' s ▁body gu ards ▁was ▁originally ▁from ▁Mah ala ). ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Sm och in ă ' s ▁own ▁rend ition ▁of ▁the ▁encounter , ▁when ▁asked ▁about ▁his ▁vision ▁on ▁the ▁Mold av ian ▁question , ▁Len in ▁began ▁by ▁stating : ▁" You ▁Mold av ians ▁have ▁no ▁interest ▁in ▁fighting ▁on ▁the ▁side ▁of ▁Russia , ▁who ▁for ▁centuries ▁now ▁has ▁been ▁ens la ving ▁your ▁kind . ▁Cult ur ally , ▁Mold av ians ▁are ▁far ▁more ▁advanced ▁than ▁Rus si ans ." ▁The ▁thing ▁to ▁do , ▁Len in ▁said , ▁was ▁for ▁Mold av ians ▁to ▁take ▁up ▁arms ▁and ▁fight ▁against ▁the ▁two ▁" opp ress ors ": ▁Russia ▁and ▁" land own ers ' ▁Roman ia ". ▁According ▁to ▁Sm och in ă , ▁Len in ▁open ly ▁agreed ▁that ▁Mold av ians , ▁B ess arab ians ▁and ▁Roman ians ▁were ▁in ▁ess ence ▁the ▁same ▁dem onym : ▁" Take ▁insp iration ▁from