Moldovan President Maia Sandu told European lawmakers that Russia is carrying out extensive interference in an attempt to pull her country back into its orbit ahead of this month’s crucial parliamentary elections.
"On 28 September 2025, Moldova will hold the most consequential election in its history," Sandu said in a speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
"Today we face an unlimited hybrid war on a scale unseen before the full invasion of Ukraine - the Kremlin's goal is clear, to capture Moldova through the ballot box, to use it against Ukraine and to turn us into a launch pad for hybrid attacks in the European Union."
Sandu and her European allies have repeatedly accused Moscow of attempting to destabilise the former Soviet republic of 2.6 million people that lies between war-torn Ukraine and EU and NATO member Romania.
A vocal critic of Russia, in particular since the start of its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Sandu has steered Moldova to official EU accession talks that started in June 2024.
"Our European path is not just a matter of values, it is a matter of survival, and precisely because we have advanced greatly on this path, Russia has unleashed its arsenal of hybrid attacks against us," Sandu said.
'Unprecedented interference': how Russia is attempting to shape Moldova’s future
"The battlefield is our elections."
The Moldovan leader detailed a raft of alleged Russian tactics from illicit cryptocurrency financing, through disinformation campaigns on social media to direct vote buying.
"Moldova is not alone in protecting its democracy. The European Union has stood with us financially, technically and politically, and we are deeply grateful," she said.
The EU has thrown its weight behind Moldova ahead of the election, with the leaders of Germany, France and Poland making a highly symbolic joint visit last month.
(with newswires)
