{"id":2059626,"date":"2025-08-05T20:51:43","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T18:51:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pre.efe.com\/?p=2059626"},"modified":"2025-08-06T17:57:31","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T15:57:31","slug":"eu-russia-influence-moldova-september-elections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pre.efe.com\/en\/latest-news\/2025-08-05\/eu-russia-influence-moldova-september-elections\/","title":{"rendered":"EU and Russia vie for influence in Moldova ahead of crucial September elections"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moscow (EFE).- With less than two months until Moldova&#8217;s crucial parliamentary elections on Sep. 28, the European Union and Russia have ramped up efforts to win favor among Moldovans, who remain divided between a pro-European path and closer ties with Moscow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tensions escalated further this week after Yevgenia Gutsul, a key ally of the Kremlin and leader of the autonomous region of Gagauzia, was sentenced to seven years in prison. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The verdict sparked outrage in Moscow, which denounced the ruling as politically motivated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-gutsul-s-conviction-deepens-east-west-divide\"><strong>Gutsul\u2019s conviction deepens East-West divide<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe sentence against Gutsil is an example of a politically motivated decision and a clear attempt by authorities to pressure their opponents,\u201d said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gutsul was arrested in March on corruption charges linked to Moldova\u2019s 2023 local elections. Prosecutors accuse her of channeling funds from Russia to Moldova in support of the now-banned pro-Russian Shor party. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gutsul, who met Russian President Vladimir Putin last year, described the sentence as \u201ca political vendetta ordered from above,\u201d and claimed authorities \u201care using repression as a tool to silence dissent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moldovan President Maia Sandu, a staunch pro-European liberal, warned last week of an \u201cunprecedented interference\u201d from Russia in the upcoming elections, an allegation the Kremlin swiftly denied. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe face difficult times ahead, but we must not be afraid. We must be mobilized,\u201d Sandu said, rallying support for her Action and Solidarity Party, which currently leads in the polls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Analysts in Chisinau say the Gutsul case will likely deepen Moldova\u2019s political polarization, pitting pro-European factions against pro-Russian groups in what some are calling the country\u2019s most decisive vote since independence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pro-Russian bloc gains momentum In a direct challenge to Sandu\u2019s party, a new pro-Russian political alliance has emerged, uniting the Socialist Party, the Communist Party, and smaller groups including Moldova\u2019s Future and Moldova\u2019s Heart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe stand for sovereignty, neutrality, and strong relations with all, including Europe, based on our national interests, and for restoring dialogue with Russia,\u201d said Socialist leader Igor Dodon as the alliance formally registered with electoral authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, Moldova\u2019s Central Election Commission has barred the Pobeda (Victory) bloc, led by fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor, currently exiled in Moscow, from participating in the September vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As in the October 2024 EU referendum, when the pro-European vote triumphed largely thanks to Moldova\u2019s diaspora, Moldovans living abroad in countries like Italy, Spain, and Portugal are expected to play a decisive role once again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-eu-boosts-support-russia-warns-of-nato-expansion\"><strong>EU boosts support, Russia warns of NATO expansion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In July, Chisinau hosted its first-ever EU-Moldova summit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed Brussels\u2019 support, stating: \u201cMoldova\u2019s future lies in the EU. The Kremlin cannot stop Moldova from joining the European family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President Sandu echoed this sentiment: \u201cJoining the EU is not an unattainable dream, Moldovans are building it every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">European leaders highlighted ongoing efforts to integrate Moldova\u2019s economy with the EU, noting that more than 50% of the country\u2019s exports now go to the EU, compared to past dependence on Russian markets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The EU has pledged nearly 2 billion euros over three years. With 270 million euros already allocated to improve hospitals, schools, and infrastructure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russia, however, warned that Western involvement is turning Moldova into \u201ca second Ukraine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe West is trying by all means to convert Moldova into a NATO military base for a potential confrontation with Russia,\u201d said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova. EFE <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">mos\/seo\/mcd<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Moscow (EFE).- With less than two months until Moldova&#8217;s crucial parliamentary elections on Sep. 28, the European Union and Russia have ramped up efforts to win favor among Moldovans, who remain divided between a pro-European path and closer ties with Moscow. Tensions escalated further this week after Yevgenia Gutsul, a key ally of the Kremlin &#8230; <a title=\"EU and Russia vie for influence in Moldova ahead of crucial September elections\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/pre.efe.com\/en\/latest-news\/2025-08-05\/eu-russia-influence-moldova-september-elections\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about EU and Russia vie for influence in Moldova ahead of crucial September elections\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":198164071,"featured_media":2059629,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[122140],"tags":[123048],"class_list":["post-2059626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","tag-russia-3","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>EU and Russia vie for influence in Moldova<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The European Union and Russia have ramped up efforts to win favor among Moldovans. 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