A draft resolution from the European Parliament warns Russia to stop its "provocations and attempts to destabilize" Moldova ahead of a crucial presidential election and referendum.
It also urges EU member states to provide Chisinau with "all necessary assistance" to counter Moscow's disinformation.
The resolution likewise calls for the EU to slap additional sanctions on individuals and entities "responsible for supporting or carrying out actions which undermine or threaten the Republic of Moldova’s sovereignty and independence."
Pro-Western President Maia Sandu is running for reelection on October 20 and Moldovans will also vote the same day in a referendum on joining the 27-member European Union.
The two polls are seen as a make-or-break moment for the future of one of Europe's poorest countries, where Russia still wields massive influence and maintains more than 1,000 troops in the separatist Transdniester region, 33 years after Chisinau declared independence from the Soviet Union.
Under the U.S.-educated Sandu, who came to power after defeating Russian-backed incumbent Igor Dodon in 2020, Moldova took an about-turn toward the West, condemning Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and joining the EU sanctions regime against the Kremlin.
Moldova secured EU candidate status in June 2022 and opened membership negotiations with the bloc earlier this year, steps that prompted Russia to step up attempts to undermine the credibility of Moldova's government and portray Moscow as a better alternative for Chisinau's future.
SEE ALSO: In Fugitive Oligarch's Long Shadow, Free Trips Recruit Hundreds Of Young Moldovans To Love Russia"Moscow's objective remains unchanged: To derail Moldova's efforts toward EU integration and push the country back into its sphere of influence," European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova said on October 8 in an address to the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg.
"A key part of this strategy is Russia's disinformation campaign, which is specifically targeting the referendum to discredit the government's pro-EU policies by falsely portraying a lack of popular support for European integration," she added.
In a copy of the draft resolution seen by RFE/RL, the European Parliament "strongly condemns the escalating malicious activities, interference, and hybrid operations by the Russian Federation, pro-Russian oligarchs, and Russian-sponsored local actors aimed at undermining the electoral processes, security, sovereignty, and democratic foundations of the Republic of Moldova" in order to derail its European trajectory.
The document reiterates EU calls on Moscow "to respect the Republic of Moldova's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to cease its provocations and attempts to destabilize the country and undermine its constitutional order and democratic institutions."
It also urges Moscow to withdraw its troops from Transdniester and support the peaceful resolution of the conflict between Chisinau and Moscow-backed separatists, while calling for "stronger cooperation on security and defense" policy between the EU and Moldova, the first country to have signed a security and defense partnership with the bloc.
The draft resolution welcomes reforms implemented by the current government and urges the EU to assist it in "pressuring social media platforms to effectively address disinformation" and give Moldova "more consistent support" in its EU accession efforts while investing more funds in the country's infrastructure and human capital.
A vote on the nonbinding resolution is to be held later in the European Parliament, on October 8 or 9, once debates on the subject have been concluded.