The Moldovan government is boosting its efforts to improve EU support among its divided public — partly by emphasising its strategic importance during the Ukraine war.
Moldova is a deeply polarised country, its electorate pulled between pro-EU and pro-Russian positions. While a referendum on the country’s EU accession established that a majority of the Moldovan people wants to join the bloc, the margin of victory was tiny.
Given the intensity of polarisation and the seriousness of what’s at stake, the European-leaning government is working hard to shore up pro-EU sentiment in the face of Russian propaganda to the contrary.
Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihai Popşoi recently visited Brussels to affirm his government’s enthusiasm for EU accession. Against all geopolitical odds, the leaders of this Eastern European country see its future as being a part of the West.
“Many Moldovans would have liked to be in the same position as our brothers in Romania or our good friends from the Baltic countries,” he told Euronews, stressing that Russian propaganda is very instrumental in feeding negative ideas such as “Moldova is never going to be in Europe” and that “Moldovans are second class”.
“But we need to work hard to combat that narrative to show that we are already a candidate country, that we are already advancing on our European path.”
Transnistria comes to the forefront
The war in Ukraine has put Moldova in the international spotlight, with the country playing an essential strategic role as a logistics hub for Ukraine’s war effort and the delivery of supplies.
And given its perennial problem with Russian influence in the breakaway region of Transnistria, Moldova’s government takes the view that a simple ceasefire will not provide a solution for Ukraine.
Instead, their view is that a more comprehensive and concrete solution is needed to deal with what Russia considers “breakaway regions”.
The Transnistrian question has been a major burden in Moldova’s post-Cold War political development. While the pro-Russian breakaway region and the legitimate Republic of Moldova have not come into conflict in the last three decades, the ceasefire has only served Moscow’s interests in Central Europe.
“I’m afraid we are not in a position to impose or suggest outcomes since we have our own frozen conflict for 30 years,” said Popşoi, “and we would certainly not recommend it to anyone.”
The foreign minister suggested that the Transnitstrian issue should also be on the agenda of a potential peace agreement for Ukraine.
“Whenever that discussion comes, we also hope that the Transnitstrian issue will be part of the solution,” he said. “There are Russian troops and munitions in Moldova that also need to leave. In the context of this settlement, that should also be on the agenda.”
