MEP: Russia realizes that these elections are its last chance to thwart Moldova's EU accession ambitions
Moldova (Illustrative photo: Dumitru Doru/EPA)

Russia understands that the parliamentary elections are the last chance to thwart Moldova's ambitions to join the European Union and bring the country back under its influence. This opinion was expressed in a commentary by LIGA.net for analysis MEP from Romania Sigfrid Muresan said.

According to him, since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moldova's pro-European leadership has ensured stability in the region. It helped Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war, preventing a migration crisis, countered Russia's numerous attempts to destabilize the country, and moved towards European integration together with Ukraine.

"Russia understands that these elections are its last chance to thwart Moldova's ambitions to join the EU, to bring the country back under its influence and use it as a springboard against Europe and Ukraine, as it has done with Belarus since the beginning of the invasion," Muresan said.

The parliamentarian is convinced that the parliamentary elections in Moldova will decide not only who will lead the country for the next four years, but also the stability and security of the entire region.

"The stakes are high for all of us, so a pro-European victory is the only positive outcome," he emphasized.

According to the MP, Russia has recently suffered serious setbacks. Last year, it failed to influence the presidential election in Moldova, and it continues to fight Ukraine. He is confident that Russia will suffer another defeat on Sunday.