The EU is turning into a military bloc and is imposing foreign values on Moldova, according to the former pro-Moscow president of Chișinău, the Socialist leader Igor Dodon.
NEWS: Igor Dodon has stated that the European Union is becoming a military bloc. The European Union is forcing us to join anti-Russian sanctions. The European Union is imposing values that are foreign to us.
"We don't need any of this. There will be no accession to the EU. If Moldova had really been wanted in the European Union, this would have happened 5–10 years ago. But Brussels does not want this, because there is no consensus and because there are too many internal problems. We must not lie to the people of the Republic of Moldova about any imminent European integration—it will not happen," said the politician.
NARRATIVES: 1. The EU is turning into a military bloc. 2. The EU is imposing "foreign values" on the Republic of Moldova.
PURPOSE: To associate the EU with an aggressive military alliance, in order to create fear and opposition to European integration. To revive false narratives about the imposition of EU rules that are not accepted by the majority of the population, such as the alleged "LGBT agenda."
WHY THE NARRATIVES ARE FALSE: The claim that the EU is turning into a military bloc most likely stems from the ReArm Europe plan, proposed by the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, which aims to strengthen the defense capabilities of the EU member states in the context of Russia’s threats and the Trump administration's distancing itself from ensuring security within NATO. However, increasing defense capabilities does not turn the EU into a military bloc.
As regards the "foreign values", the EU does not impose anything on the Republic of Moldova. The EU does not have a pro-LGBT agenda, as some pro-Russian politicians or representatives often claim, but rather a pro-human rights and minority rights agenda, including sexual minorities.
Veridica has previously debunked several false narratives on this topic, including that the EU is making Moldova’s accession conditional on the legalization of same-sex marriage, or that Moldovan authorities shut down a television station for promoting “traditional values” .
CONTEXT/LOCAL ETOS: Moldova is preparing for parliamentary elections on September 28, considered decisive for the country's geostrategic future. The electoral competition is between the current pro-European government and pro-Russian parties—some declared, others covert—which are counting on the Kremlin's support. Among the leaders of the center-left bloc is Igor Dodon, a staunch advocate of closer ties with Moscow.
Meanwhile, the media and authorities in Chișinău are warning that hybrid threats from Russia are intensifying across various channels, including Romania. President Maia Sandu has recently convened the Supreme Security Council, where state institutions presented assessments indicating a coherent plan by the Russian Federation to undermine Moldovan democracy and divert the country's European course. The SSC identified at least ten mechanisms through which Moscow is attempting to interfere in the electoral process.
Against this background, the Kremlin's strategy remains the same: demonizing the European Union, associating European integration with risks and values that are "foreign" to the population, and inducing distrust of pro-Western institutions. The ultimate goal is to diminish public support for the European vector and keep the Republic of Moldova in a zone of influence controlled by Russia.
