Russia has been ramping up efforts to influence Moldovans living abroad across Europe, sharing disinformation and fake news, the country’s national security chief, Stanislav Secrieru, told POLITICO last month.
Moldova’s presidential election last year, in which the country’s liberal leader Maia Sandu won reelection, was marred by allegations of Russian interference. Moscow also targeted a simultaneous referendum on the country joining the EU, in which Moldovans voted “yes” by a narrow margin.
In July, Sandu warned against “unprecedented election meddling” ahead of September’s election.
“The Russian Federation wants to control the Republic of Moldova from autumn onwards,” she said.
European countries are considering opening a first “negotiating cluster” for Moldova — a key legal step on the path to the European Union membership — early next month after a meeting of EU ministers, according to three diplomats and an EU official.
That move could send a signal to pro-EU voters in Moldova, but risks angering Ukraine, whose bid to join the bloc remains blocked by Hungary. The EU membership bids of both countries have moved in parallel since receiving an initial green light from the European Council in 2023.
