Moldovan President Maia Sandu has called on the European Union to accelerate her country’s accession process, citing what she described as large-scale Russian interference in Moldova’s internal affairs and elections. 

Speaking at a joint press conference with Polish President Karol Nawrocki on January 26, Sandu said Moscow had allegedly spent the equivalent of about 2% of Moldova’s GDP (around €350mn) to influence the 2025 parliamentary elections.

Failure to move faster with EU accession could put the country’s sovereignty and freedom at risk, she warned, according to Agerpres and Deschide.md. At this moment, Moldova expects to close accession negotiations in 2028.

“We hope that the EU will make a decision before it is too late … To feel safe, you have to be part of the EU,” Sandu said in a speech delivered on January 27 during a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg.

The president presented what she described as evidence of coordinated information manipulation campaigns, supported by networks of fake social media accounts and the use of artificial intelligence, aimed at generating panic, distrust and confusion among citizens.

“A single coordinated network of just over 100 fake TikTok accounts, active for less than three months, generated 50 million views in a country of 2.4 million people. This was not a spontaneous expression, but an organised and funded operation,” Sandu said.

According to the Moldovan president, the Kremlin’s objective was to install a loyal government in Chisinau and draw the country into Russia’s sphere of influence. She stressed that small states are particularly vulnerable in the current geopolitical context.

“Yes, we would like things to move faster regarding accession,” Sandu reiterated.

Asked whether reunification with Romania could represent an alternative path to faster EU integration, Sandu said Moldova remains fully committed to the formal accession process. At the same time, she underlined that her overarching goal is for the country to remain part of the “free world” and said reforms have already been implemented to align Moldova with the EU acquis.

Sandu warned that Europe is currently facing two wars: Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine and a broader war against democracy, waged through hybrid and information tools designed to divide societies.

“The Republic of Moldova is on the front line of this second war,” the president concluded.