Russia

Moldova

Politics

Moldova's ruling Party of Action and Solidarity, or PAS, secured an outright majority in the parliamentary election, outperforming tight polls that had predicted a neck-and-neck race with the Russia-oriented Patriotic Electoral Bloc, Reuters reported on Sept. 28.

Moldova: Pro-EU Party Secures Surprise Majority

Cyber

Russia is ramping up efforts to influence Moldova's Sept. 28 parliamentary elections, according to a Bloomberg report published Sept. 22 that cites leaked Kremlin documents revealing Russia's strategy in the country.

Russia, Moldova: Leaked Kremlin Documents Reveal Efforts To Influence Moldova Election

Germany

France

Poland

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited Chisinau, Moldova, pledging to support President Maia Sandu and Moldova's EU path, Reuters reported on Aug. 27.

Moldova: European Leaders Back Sandu in Preelection Visit, Warn Against Kremlin Meddling

A Moldovan court sentenced Evghenia Gutsul, governor of the country's autonomous Gagauzia region, to seven years in prison for channeling Russian funds to the now-banned Shor political party, Reuters reported on Aug. 5.

Moldova: Conviction of Pro-Kremlin Gagauz Leader Galvanizes Opposition Ahead of Parliamentary Vote

Europe

On   July 15, the Council of the European Union added seven people and three organizations to its Moldova‑focused sanctions list.

Moldova: EU Sanctions Individuals and Organizations Accused of Destabilizing Country

Ukraine

Economics

Energy

Moldova will send 3 million cubic meters of natural gas to its separatist enclave Transdniestria starting Feb. 1, the first fuel supply to the area since Russian gas transit through Ukraine halted on Jan. 1, Reuters reported on Jan. 31.

Moldova: Transdniestria To Receive First Gas Shipment Following EU Grant

Russia-linked Cypriot company Ozbor Enterprises booked about 3.1 million cubic meters per day of Russian gas to be delivered to the Strandzha-2 entry point on the Turkey-Bulgaria border from Feb. 1, potentially for onward delivery to Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniestria through the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline, Kommersant reported on Jan. 22. 

Moldova: TurkStream Potentially Booked for Russian Gas Deliveries to Transdniestria

After returning from a trip to Moscow, the president of Moldova's separatist-controlled breakaway region of Transdniestria, Vadim Krasnoselsky, told reporters he had negotiated a resumption of gas supplies with Russian energy officials, Reuters reported on Jan. 15.

Moldova: Transdniestrian Leader Says Russia Will Restore Gas Supplies Soon

Snapshots

Moldovan President Maia Sandu arrives to hold a press conference in Chisinau on Sept. 29, 2025, after her pro-EU party secured a victory in parliamentary elections. 

Despite a clear win for the pro-EU Action and Solidarity in the Sept. 28 parliamentary election, Moldova's path to EU accession remains fraught with obstacles, including the unresolved Transdniestria conflict, entrenched corruption and the need for politically sensitive judicial reforms.

Even With PAS Victory, Moldova's Road to EU Membership Remains Long

Assessments

United States

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Denmark

Representatives are pictured ahead of a working session during the informal EU foreign ministers' meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Aug. 30, 2025.

Military & Security

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: EU Leaders Meet in Denmark, Moldova Elects a New Parliament

The Moldovan flag flutters near government buildings in Chisinau on Jan. 17, 2025. 

Global Elections

Moldova's ambition for EU accession faces a critical test in elections due Sept. 28, where the performance of the pro-Russian bloc could either derail pro-European reforms or preserve a narrow, albeit unstable, path toward the West.

Moldova's Election: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

This picture taken on Sept. 2, 2014, shows equipment from the border release and compressor station of the gas pipeline from Ukraine in Veke Kapusany, eastern Slovakia. 

Russia is hoping to weaken Moldova's pro-European government by inducing a destabilizing energy crisis in the winter. But if this plan fails, it could further undermine Russian influence in the country.

To Keep Its Hold on Moldova, Russia Gambles on a Gas Cut-Off

Bolivia

A natural gas distribution hub is seen near Vienna, Austria, on Nov. 16, 2024.

The Weekly Rundown: Poland Assumes the EU Presidency, Russia-Ukraine Gas Transit Deal Expires

Iran

Iraq

Qatar

The first day of early voting in the Nov. 5 U.S. election Oct. 21, 2024, in Stamford, Connecticut. U.S. voters will select a new president, 435 representatives, 34 senators, and any number of state and municipal officials Nov. 5.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: America Votes, Qatar's Constitutional Referendum

An illustration of Russian and Moldovan flags.

The near rejection of the vote on EU membership reflects the continued strength of pro-Russian political forces ahead of the country's 2025 parliamentary election.

The Close Results of Moldova's Referendum Raise Fears of a Pro-Russian Government

Ethiopia

Kenya

South Africa

Brazil

Egypt

United Arab Emirates

China

Indonesia

India

Vehicles pass by a banner thanking outgoing Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and congratulating President-elect Prabowo Subianto and Vice President-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka ahead of their Oct. 20 inauguration in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Oct. 17, 2024.

The Weekly Rundown: An Impeachment Case in Kenya, an Inauguration in Indonesia

Moldovan President Maya Sandu delivers a speech in Chisinau on Sept. 20, 2024, during a rally to launch her reelection campaign.

Arguably the biggest threat to Moldova's pro-European trajectory comes not from the two impending Oct. 20 votes themselves, but how the results impact the country's 2025 parliamentary election.

Previewing Moldova's Presidential Race and Referendum on EU Membership

Peru

The 133rd session of the Committee of Ministers at the European Council on May 17 in Strasbourg France. European Union leaders will gather June 27-28  in Brussels for the first European Council summit since the June 6-9 European Parliament elections.

The Weekly Rundown: Ukraine and Moldova Begin EU Accession Talks, Peru's President Visits China

People hold Moldovan national flags as they gather outside the presidential palace in Chisinau on Dec. 14, 2023, to celebrate the European Council's decision to open accession talks with Moldova.

In the lead-up to the October presidential election and referendum on Moldova's EU integration, Moscow and its Moldovan political allies will step up their efforts to destabilize the country's pro-European government.

In Moldova, Two Key Votes Portend More Pro-Russian Political Agitation

Jordan

Australia

Georgia

U..S Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Oct. 14, 2023, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with his Arab counterparts Nov. 4 in the Jordanian capital in a bid to garner regional support for U.S. policies in the Israel-Hamas war.

The Weekly Rundown: Blinken Meets Arab Ministers, State Assembly Elections in India

Moldova is a landlocked country sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania. Like its immediate neighbors, Moldova is a borderland state contested between Russia and the West.    Moldova's small size, flat terrain and strategic location on the Bessarabian gap has made it vulnerable to invasion and control by outside powers throughout its history. The territory that now makes up Moldova was contested between the Ottoman and Russian empires in the 19th century. In the 20th century, the Romanians, Germans and Soviets fought for control over its territory. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Moldova became an independent state for the first time in modern history, with its economic, political and demographic core located in the capital of Chisinau.    Independence has not removed external competition for influence over Moldova. The country's political system is roughly evenly divided between pro-Russian and pro-European Union groups that clash &mdash; sometimes violently &mdash; over the country's orientation toward Moscow or toward the West. Moldova is also divided geographically, with the territory of Transdniestria breaking away from Chisinau's control in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Transdniestria remains de facto out of the control of the Moldovan government and is supported financially and militarily by Russia. Coping with these various internal and external divisions is Moldova's primary geographic challenge.

SITUATION REPORTS

Moldova: Pro-EU Party Secures Surprise Majority

Russia, Moldova: Leaked Kremlin Documents Reveal Efforts To Influence Moldova Election

Moldova: European Leaders Back Sandu in Preelection Visit, Warn Against Kremlin Meddling

Moldova: Conviction of Pro-Kremlin Gagauz Leader Galvanizes Opposition Ahead of Parliamentary Vote

Moldova: EU Sanctions Individuals and Organizations Accused of Destabilizing Country

Moldova: Transdniestria To Receive First Gas Shipment Following EU Grant

Moldova: TurkStream Potentially Booked for Russian Gas Deliveries to Transdniestria

Moldova: Transdniestrian Leader Says Russia Will Restore Gas Supplies Soon

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