Romanian Member of the European Parliament Siegfried Mureșan warned on September 12 that Russia intends to transform Moldova into a satellite state similar to Belarus. He stressed that Moscow has used Belarus as a platform for attacks against Europe since the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and now aims to replicate this model with Moldova. According to Mureșan, the closer Moldova moves toward the European Union, the more aggressively Russia acts to obstruct its European course. He pointed to recent espionage accusations against Belarus from Romania and the Czech Republic as part of the same pattern of Russian proxy activity, noting that Russia wants to use Moldova to attack Europe.
Election interference and disinformation campaigns
Commenting on Moldova’s ongoing parliamentary election campaign ahead of the September 28 vote, Mureșan highlighted evidence of direct voter bribery from Moscow, illicit financing of pro-Russian politicians, and large-scale disinformation campaigns designed to weaken public trust in Moldova’s pro-European path. He urged EU institutions to recognize these operations as deliberate Kremlin strategies to destabilize Moldova and undermine its democratic process.
President Sandu’s call for unity and EU membership
At the Summit of Active Moldovans in the Diaspora in Potsdam on September 12–13, President Maia Sandu emphasized that Moldovan citizens everywhere play a decisive role in shaping the country’s future. She underlined that the choices made in this election will determine whether Moldova can build a strong, united, and respected state that joins the European Union. Unlike previous campaigns, Sandu and her pro-Western government now openly define Russia as the greatest threat to Moldova’s security and present EU integration as the country’s main safeguard against external interference.
Civil society and state response to Russian influence
Moldovan think tanks such as WatchDog.md continue to debunk Russian narratives aimed at discrediting the government, while security services expose networks linked to Russian influence groups, including the NGO “Eurasia,” which uses clergy, youth, and educators to spread anti-European messages. Authorities report that these networks finance anti-government rallies with cash and cryptocurrency. Officials in Chișinău do not exclude the possibility of provocations after the vote and are preparing responses to counter potential unrest.
Moldova’s role in regional security
Over the past four years, Moldova has positioned itself as a reliable partner of Ukraine and Europe, repeatedly underscoring that its stability depends on Ukraine’s resistance to Russian aggression. Analysts note that Moldova’s successful integration into the EU would significantly complicate Moscow’s efforts to use the country as a staging ground for destabilizing Eastern Europe. For Mureșan and other European officials, this makes Moldova’s European path not only a national choice but also a matter of broader continental security.
