BRINGING THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA TO THE ATTENTION OF WESTERN POLICYMAKERS. TRANSNISTRIA AND THE SEPARATIST CAUSE

Abstract

For the Republic of Moldova, often ranked as the poorest country in Europe, the last two years were both the worst and best years. Against the backdrop of Russia’s brutal and inhumane war against Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova faces challenges at numerous levels, ranging from a fragile economy to having foreign military forces illegally stationed on its territory. Furthermore, having not one, but two separatist regions on its land, both controlled, de facto, by the Russian Federation, adds considerable pressure on the current pro-European government. The Russian Federation employs a wide range of hybrid instruments to intervene in the Republic of Moldova’s internal affairs. Having witnessed Russia’s aggressive actions in Ukraine, but not only, the international community is now paying considerably more attention to the Republic of Moldova. One self-explanatory reason would be that the Republic of Moldova hosted the European Political Community Summit, the largest and most important international event in its history. Consequently, the goal of this article is to highlight that the Republic of Moldova can only secure prospects for development, stability and democracy through broader integration into the European community.

Keywords

• republic of moldova
• transnistria
• russian interference
• eu
• nato
• soft power
• peaceful settlement