Moldovan President Maia Sandu warned European lawmakers on Tuesday that Russia is conducting an “unrestricted” campaign of interference aimed at drawing her country into its sphere of influence ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for this month.
“On September 28, Moldova will conduct the most significant election in its history,” Sandu stated during her address at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
She characterized this effort as an “unlimited hybrid war on a scale never seen before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine,” asserting that the Kremlin’s objective is “to take control of Moldova through the elections, to use it against Ukraine, and to transform our nation into a launching point for hybrid assaults within the European Union.”
Sandu and her supporters in Brussels have consistently accused Moscow of attempting to destabilize the former Soviet republic of 2.6 million people, which shares borders with Ukraine and EU member Romania.
An outspoken critic of the Kremlin since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Sandu has directed Moldova towards strengthening its relationship with the West. The country officially commenced its EU accession discussions in June 2024.
“Our journey towards Europe is not merely a question of values; it is a matter of survival,” she conveyed to the lawmakers. “It is precisely because we have made significant progress on this journey that Russia has unleashed its arsenal of hybrid attacks against us. The battleground is our elections.”
Sandu accused Moscow of utilizing various tactics, including illegal cryptocurrency funding, disinformation strategies, and even direct vote buying.
“Moldova is not alone in defending its democracy,” she emphasized, acknowledging the backing received from Brussels. “The European Union has supported us financially, technically, and politically, for which we are immensely grateful.”
European leaders have recently reaffirmed their support. The leaders of Germany, France, and Poland visited Moldova last month in an unusual joint trip that was widely interpreted as an expression of solidarity ahead of the elections.
