Moldova, which is among Europe’s poorest nations, has battled through years of high-level corruption, oligarchic influence over politics, and a brief war with a breakaway republic, Transnistria, in the early 1990s.
But a 2025 poll from the International Republican Institute showed that nearly half of all Moldovans believe that the country is going in the right direction, the highest number in 20 years. Since the election of President Maia Sandu in 2020, Moldovans say they have experienced steadily declining corruption. Moldova also appears to be on track to join the European Union, in the process unlocking over 1 billion euros in economic aid.
Still, a host of problems remain—especially with Russia. Moldova accused Russia of attempting to interfere in a parliamentary election in September, an effort that ultimately failed. In January, Russia shut off gas supplies to Moldova, forcing the country to scramble for alternate energy sources. Meanwhile, Russia continues to wage war in Ukraine, with which Moldova shares a border.
In an interview with Foreign Policy, Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihai Popsoi discussed what Moldova got right in resisting Russian influence, what he thinks about the Trump administration’s peace efforts in the Russia-Ukraine war, and where he sees Moldova’s relationship with Transnistria going in the near future.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Foreign Policy: Moldova successfully held a parliamentary election and defeated a Russian influence campaign. What lessons did you learn from that? And do you think there’s a risk of future Russian influence attempts?
Mihai Popsoi: It’s safe to say that the risk remains there, but the fact is that we’ve built this immunity.
Our law enforcement was a lot more proactive in combating the illegalities and the incredible amounts of cash and crypto transfers and bank transfers through sanctioned Russian banks flowing into our political system. We have become more adept in mitigating those [threats].
The same goes for cyber security. We’ve improved that to a significant degree, thanks to our partners in the free world, and we’ve addressed the vulnerabilities in the informational space, while at the same time making sure that we respect and apply and abide by democratic freedoms and liberties. And we managed to consolidate our energy security.
So, no matter how challenging and difficult the past few years have been, we are in a stronger, more resilient position now than we were a few years ago.
FP: Do you think the Russians will keep attempting to interfere in future elections? Or was Moldova’s action decisive enough to deter further influence attempts?
MP: Well, I would like to believe this is decisive enough, but I’m afraid recent history teaches us otherwise. They are relentless. They have this perception that the former Soviet Union is some sort of fiefdom and not sovereign nations, which is highly problematic.
And certainly, Moldovans have spoken loud and clear, time and time again, that they see their future in the free world. We’re incredibly thankful for our friends and partners for helping us be able to be in the position where we can defend ourselves against this hybrid interference.
FP: With the publication of the U.S. National Security Strategy, it’s clear that at least some elements within the Trump administration see Europe as a low priority, and the EU as more of an adversary to the United States. Does that pose any problem when it comes to Moldova’s EU accession?
MP: No, I don’t think so. From our engagements, we have seen that Europe is a strong ally of the United States. It has been and will remain the case. And the Republic of Moldova is definitely a strong ally of the United States.
The enlargement of the European Union is a vindication of this peace project that the European Union is, a project that has lifted many nations from the difficult circumstances of the post-communist, post-socialist period.
Poland is probably one of the best examples in terms of the economic development and, of course, investments in security and defense, much like the Baltic countries and our brothers in Romania.
So this is clearly a success story, not just in economic terms and security terms, but also in terms of making and being able to stand by the United States and being a trusted ally, given the growing nature of international challenges.
FP: There’s a plausible scenario in which Russia achieves many of its aims in Ukraine—not, perhaps, taking all of the country, but exerting a great deal of political control over Ukraine after a peace settlement. How would that affect Moldova?
MP: I think that it’s highly unlikely at this stage. This war really galvanized Ukrainian identity and Ukraine’s perception of itself as a sovereign nation, deeply rooted in history and now battle-hardened in war.
Ukraine has resisted heroically. I’m confident that they will be able to defend their political domain from Russian interference, like we have done in Moldova.
FP: Who have you been able to meet with here in D.C., and what are their interests in Moldova?
MP: We’ve had a number of great meetings with senators, with members of Congress, bipartisan folks who are primarily interested in foreign policy, defense, and security. And we’ve been reassured that they are committed to peace [in Ukraine], and we are very much hopeful. In our case, they say that hope is not a great strategy, but in Moldova, more often than not, we rely on hope, and somehow it has worked out for us.
FP: What have you taken away from meetings with the U.S. State Department and National Security Council?
MP: We’ve been reassured. And I come from this visit with a clear sense that the Trump administration is very much driven by a genuine desire to bring peace to the region. It’s a difficult undertaking, but if there is anybody that can achieve this, this is the Trump administration.
FP: Why do you say that?
MP: Because of their sheer leverage that the United States has, but also, if you will, the style of President Trump, who is very direct, and he clearly has a strong interest in making sure that this turns out well and we end up with generational peace in the region.
And once we have peace in Ukraine, the reconstruction effort that will follow will certainly bring a lot of economic opportunities for American investors, for European investors.
Moldova certainly wants to be a helpful partner in this effort. We are now already preparing our infrastructure for this goal. We’re investing in roads, bridges, and energy infrastructure to be able to not only help Ukraine, but also help American investments in Romania and in Ukraine.
FP: There have been increasing numbers of Russian drones entering Moldovan airspace. How much of a threat is that? And do you think it’s intentional?
MP: Well, I can probably believe that it’s accidental if it happens once or twice, right? When it happens a lot more often, and the incursions are a lot deeper, then it is difficult to excuse that as mere accidents, right?
It’s probably more a way of probing and testing. And that is true of other countries in the region, including NATO members.
In our case, it’s probably even more challenging since we don’t really have an air defense system to speak of. We’re in the process of acquiring and building one now, with the support of our international partners, and that, of course, makes Moldova safer.
FP: Transnistria’s economy is increasingly tied to the EU, not Russia. Where do you see Moldova’s relationship with Transnistria going in the next couple of years?
MP: The business community there understands where the future lies and understands where the opportunities are, and the younger generation as well. There is fertile ground being created from an economic standpoint, because the pull factor, the attractiveness of Moldova, is growing by the day, as we develop, as we invest those resources that come from the European Union.
So there is a clear pathway towards peaceful reintegration, if you bear in mind that we are already sort of half reintegrated, economically, socially, culturally.
FP: The Trump administration goes back and forth in terms of who’s winning the war in Ukraine, but Trump has been more consistent on saying that the Russians are winning or will eventually win. What is your assessment—who’s winning the war?
MP: From my perspective, and from the perspective of Moldova, who has been shielded by Ukraine for almost four years now, Ukraine has won, by virtue of being able to not just remain a sovereign nation, but end up being a stronger, more resilient sovereign nation with a much stronger sense of national identity with an incredibly strong military and a very united society.
So if you view the situation from that prism, there is a very strong argument to be made that Ukraine has won on all of these fronts.
And I’m confident that the Trump administration has the means and has the clear political vision and wisdom to find this sustainable solution in partnership with other allies, and first and foremost, with Ukraine, because it’s a sovereign right of Ukraine to have a solution that is sustainable, just, and lasting.