Russian military aircraft have strayed into EU airspace this past week, testing reactions in nations that used to be Soviet affiliates. But further south, an even graver and more immediate Russian intervention has just been identified and blocked.
The Republic of Moldova, a small Eastern European nation nestled between Romania and Ukraine, has long found itself at the crossroads of competing geopolitical interests. The country’s parliamentary elections have, over the past decade, drawn not only domestic attention but also that of the Russian Federation. Russia’s influence campaign in Moldova’s parliamentary elections is part of a broader strategy employed throughout the region to shape political outcomes, destabilise pro-European movements and maintain a sphere of influence in the post-Soviet space.
