Moldova’s pro-European President Maia Sandu on Wednesday accused Russia of seeking to meddle in the upcoming national elections in September, warning that Moscow was planning “unprecedented” action to “get its people into the next parliament.”
Sandu, a vocal critic of Russia—particularly since the start of the Russia–Ukraine war in 2022—has repeatedly accused Moscow of political interference in the former Soviet republic, which lies between war-torn Ukraine and EU and NATO member Romania.
Fears of Russian meddling have been mounting, as Sandu has steered Moldova towards official EU accession talks, which began in June 2024. “The Russian Federation wants to control Moldova from the autumn and is preparing an unprecedented interference in the September elections,” she said, citing methods including vote-buying and illicit financing through cryptocurrencies, for which “€100 million” have allegedly been earmarked.
Sandu said the Kremlin was preparing to launch “information manipulation campaigns” and cyberattacks, organise paid “violent” protests, and exploit traditional religious structures. She accused the two main opposition forces of taking advantage of Moscow’s plans to deprive her centre-right Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) of its parliamentary majority.
According to a recent poll, Sandu’s PAS is currently leading with 39% support, followed by the pro-Russian opposition Socialist Party at 14.9%. However, around 30% of voters remain undecided.
Earlier this year, police said over 140,000 people in the country of 2.5 million were under investigation in connection with a cash-for-votes scheme during the 2021 presidential election. In the past, authorities have accused pro-Russian media and activists of spreading disinformation, leading to the closure of numerous outlets and Telegram channels.
