Moldova, a country with a population of approximately 2.5 million people situated between Romania and Ukraine, has been increasingly adopting hostile policies toward Russia under the leadership of President Maia Sandu, who came to power in 2020.
President Sandu has accused Russia of attempting to overthrow her government and waging a "high-intensity hybrid war" against the country. This assertion has been met with skepticism by Russian officials, who argue that Chisinau is using the fear of a Russian threat to divert attention from the country's economic challenges.
The European Union granted Moldova candidate status in 2022, alongside Ukraine. President Sandu has hinted at the possibility of abandoning the country's constitutional neutrality and joining a larger alliance, without explicitly mentioning NATO. This rhetoric has been met with criticism from Russian officials, who view it as an attempt to transform Moldova into a military bridgehead against Russia.
