Thousands gather in the Moldovan capital for a pro-EU rally amid tensions with Russia

A massive pro-EU rally was organized by Moldova's president, Maia Sandu, in the country's capital, Chisinau.

There were approximately 75,000 supporters of Moldova's efforts to enter the European Union. Her pro-Western government has accused Russia of escalating tensions by supporting the pro-Russian Sor opposition party in Moldova. Moscow denies interfering in the affairs of the country. Ms. Sandu informed the protesters that her nation no longer desired to be an outlier.

She promised that Moldova will become a member nation of the European Union by the year 2030, stating that the country no longer desired to be located on the periphery of Europe. At the rally, where people were waving EU flags and chanting pro-European slogans, she informed the crowd that Moldova did not want to be bullied by the Kremlin either.

In February, Ms. Sandu accused Russia of preparing to use foreign "saboteurs" to destroy her government. She stated that the scheme would involve rallies by the so-called opposition, with the intention of overthrowing the constitutional order.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has categorically denied the allegations, stating that they are wholly baseless and unverified. Moldova, a former Soviet republic with a population of approximately 2.6 million, applied to enter the EU last year and became a candidate country in June 2022, along with Ukraine.

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has accelerated both countries' efforts to join the 27-nation bloc, not least because of the protection it provides against any Russian threat. There have been many reports of Russian missiles entering Moldovan airspace while on their way to Ukraine, which is just one example of how the conflict has severely impacted the country of Moldova.

The country, which is located between Ukraine and Romania, is also dependent on Russian gas, which Moscow took advantage of by halving its supply to Moldova last year. Moldova is sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania. This contributed to the resignation of former Moldovan prime minister Natalia Gavrilita earlier this year.

Sunday at the rally, Roberta Metsola, the president of the European Parliament, addressed the masses, praising them for defying Russian threats by turning out in the thousands. She told the sources that the EU would embrace Moldova with open arms and hearts, and that a Europe that includes Moldova would be stronger.

She added that the Moldovan government was steadily implementing EU-required reforms prior to the initiation of accession negotiations, including changes to the justice system and a pledge to "fight corruption at all levels." Ms. Metsola stated that we are, to put it plainly, really impressed by the progress that has been made so far.

According to research conducted by the think tank known as the Pew Research Centre, the present members of the EU were awarded candidacy status, on average, 3.5 years after applying for it.

The applications of Ukraine and Moldova were granted far more quickly than that, in a period of less than four months. Nonetheless, it may still take some time for these countries to achieve full member status.