The News
Preliminary results showed that Moldovans narrowly backed a referendum to join the European Union in a vote critics said was marred by Russian influence.
Pro-Russian parties — which Moldovan government officials said were behind a vote-buying scheme — had framed the vote as a last opportunity to remain within Russia’s sphere of influence. Chișinău has previously accused Russia of backing a separation of Moldovan regions including Transnistria, where Moscow maintains 1,500 troops.
SIGNALS
Moldova vote presents a ‘worrying omen’ for other would-be EU members
The referendum, which is not legally binding, was meant to “confirm the country’s path towards membership of the EU,” wrote EU Today, as Moldova voted to amend the constitution to include union membership as a goal — regardless of political leader or party. The EU discussions were fast-tracked after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the first step in a likely decade-long process that would ultimately give it access to the economic benefits of the trading bloc and more regional power. The election result has proved a “worrying omen” for Georgia’s elections next week, another country where Moscow is seeking to strengthen its influence: “If the West fails in Chișinău, Tbilisi is next,” an expert told Politico.
Russia is ramping up international election meddling, including in US
Russia has ramped up its electoral meddling efforts in 2024 — during which roughly half the world’s population will have taken part in elections — with some fearing Moscow could deploy increasingly powerful AI tools to disrupt ballots, including in the US. The technology makes it even simpler for Moscow, or another adversary like Tehran, to “tailor often polarizing content aimed at swaying American voters,” a US National Intelligence official told NPR at a press briefing. Russia’s influence cannot be overstated, with the Biden administration charging Russian state media last month for having “covertly recruit[ed] unwitting American influencers” to spread negative messages about Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and attempt to secure former President Donald Trump the White House. American intelligence agencies have alleged that Russian election interference in 2016 was ordered directly by Vladimir Putin.