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\t\t\t\tAt Least 21 Killed in Russian Airstrike on Village in Donetsk Region
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A vocal critic of the Kremlin since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Sandu has steered Moldova toward closer ties with the West. The country formally opened accession talks with the EU in June 2024.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur European path is not just a matter of values. It is a matter of survival,\u201d she told lawmakers. \u201cPrecisely because we have advanced greatly on this path, Russia has unleashed its arsenal of hybrid attacks against us. The battlefield is our elections.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sandu accused Moscow of deploying a range of tactics, from illicit cryptocurrency financing and disinformation campaigns to outright vote buying.<\/p>\n
\u201cMoldova is not alone in protecting its democracy,\u201d she added, noting the support Chisinau has received from Brussels. \u201cThe European Union has stood with us financially, technically and politically, and we are deeply grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n
European leaders have recently underscored that backing. The leaders of Germany, France and Poland traveled to Moldova last month in a rare joint visit widely seen as a show of solidarity ahead of the vote.<\/p>\n
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