Strasbourg – Moldovan President Maia Sandu says joining the European Union is a matter of democratic survival for her country, which is under growing pressure from Russia and the unresolved conflict in Transnistria. In a joint interview, Sandu spoke to RFI and German broadcaster Deutsche Welle at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, where she received the European Order of Merit on Tuesday.
Moldova, one of Europe’s poorest countries, has stepped up its push towards joining the EU since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The former Soviet republic was granted EU candidate status the same year.