President Sandu: ‘If Russia comes to power, Moldova will become a base for hybrid war against the EU’

For nearly five years, Maia Sandu has been fighting to defend Moldova’s fragile democracy from Kremlin interference. Moscow’s attacks are painful.

Maia Sandu, President of Moldova since 2020, welcomes DER STANDARD in the Presidential Palace — a colossal concrete block where the Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian SSR once convened. Sandu speaks calmly and with focus, usually hiding her emotions. However, when she talks about Ukraine’s defence struggle, she repeatedly emphasises Ukraine’s heroic efforts for a free Europe and the strong bond between the two countries. She makes it clear: Ukraine and Moldova began the path to the EU together — and want to reach the goal together.

STANDARD: You warn of Moscow’s destabilisation attempts in Moldova’s Transnistria region ahead of the parliamentary elections in September. What are you concerned about, and what are you doing about it?

Sandu: Russia is trying to overwhelm Moldovan institutions. It uses a variety of tools to interfere in our political processes and elections. We saw it last year, and we’ll see even more this year, because the parliamentary elections are critical: Moldova’s democratic and European future and the security of the region are at stake. Consolidating the democratic axis in Eastern Europe would be a strong signal that authoritarian interference can be pushed back with unity and resilience. Illegal financing of political parties is one of Moscow’s methods; interference in the autonomous regions of Transnistria and Gagauzia are others. If Russia again cuts off gas to the left bank of the Dniester, we are ready to help. There are also cyberattacks, vote-buying schemes, and disinformation.

STANDARD: Can you quantify the extent of this influence?

Sandu: We have evidence that 140,000 people were paid for their votes in the first round of the 2024 presidential election. In a population of 2.5 million, that’s 8 to 10 per cent of the electorate. There were false bomb threats at polling stations across Europe to keep people from voting. There were arson attacks on buildings of the Central Election Commission and on police cars, to create chaos and fear. On disinformation: I meet many people who support me as President, but voted against the EU in the referendum because they believed disinformation. Issues like the alleged dangers of LGBTIQ, with the Church playing a role, but also fake news claiming the EU would expropriate land. Lately, we have worked hard to strengthen the resilience of our institutions and civil society — through independent media, stricter campaign finance laws, and through conversations with people. Family conversations are important, especially explanations from diaspora members so people learn what life is really like in the EU and in Russia.

STANDARD: There was much criticism in previous elections that only two polling stations for Moldovans abroad were open in Russia, while there were about 60 in Italy. Why is that, and how many will there be this time?

Sandu: The number of polling stations in Russia is based on figures from previous elections in 2020 and 2021. Because of the war in Ukraine, there are actually even fewer Moldovans in Russia now. In the last election, the Kremlin chartered some passenger planes at €50,000 each to fly a few hundred people to polling stations in Europe. Who does that, and why? It was clear these people were paid for it. Nevertheless, we will again open some polling stations so that those who wish to can participate.

STANDARD: How satisfied are you with Moldova’s progress toward full EU membership? What obstacles remain?

Sandu: We have a timeline for EU integration — 2030 — and since we submitted our application together with Ukraine, we have worked very hard. Both cooperation with EU institutions and the support from member states are going very well. We believe we can complete the screening process by September 2025 and are ready to open negotiations on the first chapters. We have built the necessary capacity and hope that this strong political will continues after the parliamentary elections in the autumn.

STANDARD: Do you see any obstacles among member states who do not support Ukraine’s accession?

Sandu: We have very good relations with all member states. We believe it is in the interest of all EU citizens to have Moldova and Ukraine in the EU. A democratic Moldova and a democratic, resilient Ukraine contribute to peace and security on the continent. I believe we will have the support of all EU member states for both Moldova and Ukraine.

STANDARD: Would you wait for Ukraine if the EU member states accepted Moldova but not Ukraine?

Sandu: We owe our peace to Ukraine. We are proud to have taken this path together, and we know that progress must be earned. Moldova’s democracy can only survive as part of the EU.

STANDARD: So, is that a yes or a no?

Sandu: That’s a yes, we want to join the EU together.

STANDARD: EU membership has often gone hand-in-hand with NATO membership. Do you think neutrality is still a wise security strategy in the 21st century, considering how many of Russia’s southwestern neighbors seek some protection from Moscow?

Sandu: Neutrality is enshrined in our Constitution, and the majority of Moldovans believe the Republic of Moldova should remain neutral. We respect the will of the people. Of course, we are concerned with security issues and are doing much to strengthen our country’s resilience. Currently, Moldova’s security and peace are defended by Ukraine. We are very grateful for this, also to the countries that support Ukraine. Ukraine will need even more support. We will do everything to ensure that Russia does not control Moldova and use the country against Ukraine and EU member states. If Russia comes to power in Moldova, the country will become a base for hybrid war against the EU.

STANDARD: With defence spending at 0.6 per cent of GDP, Moldova is far from the five per cent goal recently adopted by NATO states.

Sandu: Well, we are not in NATO, but we have increased our defence spending and want to do even more. We are aware of the risks and are very grateful to benefit from the European Peace Facility.

STANDARD: What are you doing about the energy crisis and high prices?

Sandu: We are no longer dependent on Russian gas. Only the Transnistria region still gets Russian gas. But since electricity bought from Romania must first transit the territory controlled by the regime in Tiraspol, we remain vulnerable. However, a new high-voltage line directly to the west bank of the Dniester should be completed by the end of the year. We have invested heavily in renewable energy. On good days, at least 20 per cent—and sometimes as much as 50 per cent—of our electricity comes from renewables. Prices are still high, but will fall in the coming years.

STANDARD: Is that promise enough, or does more need to happen faster?

Sandu: Moldova’s energy crisis began in September 2021. Russia had managed to convince previous governments not to build alternatives, so we remained vulnerable to blackmail. Prices are of course a problem, but we must tell people the truth, whether it’s popular or not.

STANDARD: There is occasional criticism of the non-transparent appointment of Supreme Court judges and the anti-corruption prosecutor.

Sandu: We are in the middle of judicial reform. That’s why many judges and prosecutors are unhappy. When we announced a strict anti-corruption review, a third of judges left the system voluntarily. We must complete this process because you cannot achieve results in fighting corruption if corruption is still in the system. With corrupt judges and prosecutors, the rule of law can never be defended. Of course, there are judges and prosecutors who would be happy to see this government fall. The transition phase is difficult. Judges, for example, want to delay laws on illegal party financing. The state is not as efficient as we would like. But we are moving forward. People understand that we must first clean up the judiciary — only then can justice begin.

STANDARD: A few days ago, famous Russian rapper Basta performed at a school graduation festival in front of the government building in Chișinău. Tens of thousands of young people attended. Does that frustrate you?

Sandu: The concert was organised by a local politician. There were also many non-Russian singers, but yes: I think the state institutions should pay stricter attention to who is allowed to perform in front of our young people.

The original interview was published in German by Der Standard

The trip to Chișinău was organised by invitation of the EU NEIGHBOURS east programme, funded by the European Union.

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