Chișinău eyes fast track to the EU

Moldova’s President Maia Sandu has called for a faster EU accession.

Daniela Budu, 28.01.2026, 13:50

President Maia Sandu called on the European Union to accelerate the Republic of Moldova’s accession process during an address to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), warning that Moscow’s deepening interference in Moldovan domestic affairs, particularly in elections, poses a real risk that the country could be overtaken by Russia and lose its freedom, according to the Spanish news agency EFE.

“We hope the EU will take a decision before it is too late”, Sandu told delegates in Strasbourg. “To feel safe, you must be part of the EU”, she added.

President Sandu stressed that Moldova is “fully committed” to joining the bloc, has already implemented reforms to align itself with the EU acquis and intends to stay the course.

Radio Chișinău reports that the Moldovan president reiterated her view that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine represents a direct threat not only to Kyiv, but also to Moldova and to Europe as a whole. She also warned against a second, less visible war, one waged through disinformation, electoral meddling, illicit financing and digital technologies.

According to Maia Sandu, the aim of these operations is to undermine democratic systems from within and manipulate electoral outcomes. She recalled that over the past two years, Moldova has faced large‑scale electoral interference, cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns on social media, amplified by artificial intelligence.

“Moldova has been – and still is – on the frontline of this second war. For two consecutive years, our country has faced massive electoral interference. It was multi-domain. […] All with one objective: to seize Parliament, install a Kremlin-controlled government, crush our democracy, drag Moldova into Russia’s sphere of influence and use it against Ukraine and against Europe”.

Radio Chișinău notes that Sandu urged the Council of Europe to adopt clear legal instruments to counter information manipulation and foreign interference, including through responsible regulation of the digital space. She also highlighted the need to safeguard the freedom of thought of younger generations, warning that digital‑era disinformation directly undermines the democratic health of society.

Moldova has been a member of the Council of Europe since July 1995. Regarding its EU path, the country submitted its membership application in March 2022, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and obtained candidate status in June 2022. Accession negotiations formally began in June 2024.

Meanwhile, from Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said that Ukraine should join the European Union by 2027. According to Reuters, he wrote on social media that Ukraine views EU membership as part of its security guarantees as it continues to face the devastation of war. Kyiv applied for EU membership at the end of February 2022, immediately after Russia’s invasion and likewise holds candidate status. (VP)