More than three decades after gaining independence, Moldova continues to grapple with Moscow's lingering influence.
On the country’s Independence Day, the leaders of Germany, France and Poland stood alongside President Maia Sandu in a show of support.
"There is no alternative to Europe," Ms Sandu declared at a joint press conference, warning that "independence is not guaranteed."
In just four weeks, Moldova - a small nation nestled between EU member Romania and war-torn Ukraine - will hold parliamentary elections amid, what Ms Sandu has described, as "unprecedented interference" from the Kremlin.
She framed the vote as a stark choice between "liberty and peace" on one side, and "war and death" on the other.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said there is "a very clear trend of pro-Russian forces active" in Moldova, while French President Emmanuel Macron accused the Kremlin of spreading "lies" and portraying the European Union as "oppressive".
Germany's Friedrich Merz stated that "Moldova's accession to Europe is our common goal", pledging support for the start of EU accession talks.
The show of solidarity from European heavyweights is deliberate, with Russia's war raging just a few hundred kilometres away in Ukraine.
Moldova, which has a Romanian-speaking majority and large Russian-speaking minority, has alternated between pro-Russian and pro-Western governments since the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union.
Throughout, the Kremlin has maintained a strong grip on Moldovan politics: supporting the separatist movement in Transnistria, where Russian troops remain stationed, leveraging Moldova's dependence on Russian gas, and allegedly interfering in elections.
Moldova closer to EU accession since Ukraine war
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moldova's EU aspirations have become more pronounced.
In last year's referendum, Moldovans narrowly backed the country's path towards EU integration, re-electing the pro-European Ms Sandu.
However, recent polling suggests her Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) may struggle to secure a majority this time.
Beyond unresolved domestic challenges - corruption, poverty and mass emigration - Ms Sandu's liberal bloc faces what she calls "unprecedented Russian interference", including voter bribery, cyberattacks and paid protests.
Fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor is widely seen as the driving force behind Moldova's pro-Russian camp.
Convicted in absentia and sentenced to 15 years for fraud, Shor is accused of orchestrating a vote-buying scheme during last year's presidential election.
According to Moldova's national police, over 130,000 Moldovans were bribed by a Kremlin-linked network to vote against the referendum and in favour of Russia-aligned candidates.
Earlier this month, Shor reportedly offered Moldovans monthly payments of $3,000 to join anti-government protests ahead of the September vote.
He and his allies openly flaunt their ties to Moscow, attending victory parades and posing with prominent Russian propagandists.
The Kremlin has accused Chișinău of politically persecuting its opponents, following the sentencing of pro-Russian regional leader Evgenia Gutul to seven years in prison.
Moldovan prosecutors allege Ms Gutul funnelled $2.4 million in undeclared Russian funds to support Shor's political party.
Moscow has also accused Ms Sandu of pushing Moldova towards unification with Romania. Roughly a quarter of Moldovans hold Romanian passports, granting them access to work freely across the EU.
The two countries share the language and deep historical ties.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has made no secret of his regret over the Soviet Union's collapse, and his ambition to keep former republics within Moscow's orbit has been evident in conflicts in Georgia and Ukraine.
While a direct military intervention in Moldova appears unlikely, Ms Sandu warns that if pro-Russian forces take power, the country could become a base for the Kremlin's "hybrid war against the EU".
