cover image: Russia’s Information War in Moldova

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Russia’s Information War in Moldova

3 Oct 2024

Historically, Russia has done everything it can to keep countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union in its so-called “sphere of influence” as far from the West’s orbit as possible. However, in recent years, some of these countries, especially Moldova, Georgia, and Ukraine, have aligned themselves closer to Europe, a trend Russia considers to be an existential threat to itself. But Moscow’s interests and desire to regain control over Moldova, Georgia, and Ukraine are in direct conflict with what the citizens of those countries desire—democracy, economic prosperity, and close ties to the West.In Moldova, about 60 percent of the people now support close relations with the West. The European Union is already Moldova’s largest economic partner. Moldova is also increasingly less reliant on Russian gas, especially since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Additionally, many Moldovans already hold EU citizenship through close family ties to neighboring Romania—an EU and NATO member country. Moreover, Moldova’s current president is firmly pro-European, and the country is undergoing accession talks with the European Union. Despite clear ties with Europe, many still wish to maintain connections with both the West and Russia. Russia is concerned that it is losing territory it believes to be within its sphere of influence, and it is doing what it can to try and prevent Moldova’s break from the Moscow-approved path. Moldova also deals with many internal challenges in addition to the external pressures it faces—part of the country is indeed pro-Russian. Moldova has a long-standing tradition of Communist rule: Even after it became independent from the Soviet Union, it was led by a communist party and president for decades. These domestic vulnerabilities are a valuable tool for Moscow’s influence operations. Russia is attempting to cling to influence in its “near abroad,” including Moldova, through a myriad of tactics including disinformation campaigns, cyber-attacks, and election interference. This paper will examine the approaches Russia is using to maintain power, influence, and control, other than direct war, through a case study of Moldova.

Authors

Maya Orenstein

Pages
4
Published in
United States of America

Table of Contents