Moldova calls on Brussels to speed up EU membership talks to counter Moscow

(Patria) - Moldova wants to seriously start membership talks with the European Union before the September elections to counter Russian disinformation about the European Union, stated Deputy Prime Minister Cristina Gherasimov, Reuters reported.

Both Moldova and neighboring Ukraine, which has been fighting a Russian invasion for over three years,
formally began membership negotiations last June, but have yet to progress to substantive talks on key policies.

Although the European Union's executive body and almost all member states say Moldova and Ukraine have met the criteria for this, Hungary has blocked Kyiv's progress. European Union member states are reluctant to give Moldova the green light without doing the same for Ukraine.

EU membership is a key strategic goal for both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Moldovan President Maia Sandu as they seek to distance themselves from Russian influence and anchor their former Soviet republics to the West.

Ahead of the first EU-Moldova summit in Chisinau today, European officials face a dilemma, wanting to assure Moldova that Brussels is committed to its future integration, without fueling Ukraine's concerns that it might lag behind in the process.

"We sincerely believe in the member states that a solution will be found for both Moldova and Ukraine to open a cluster in the near future," said Gherasimov, the deputy prime minister for European integration.

"For Moldova, time is of the essence. We have elections on September 28, parliamentary elections where disinformation unfortunately plays a big role, and most of this disinformation is directed
at the EU."

Pro-Russian politicians, media, and social media profiles claim that the EU is not interested in Moldova becoming a member.

"We need to show that when we fulfill our obligations, the EU reciprocates. And that will help us silence those narratives that want to prove otherwise," Gherasimov said.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban says admitting Ukraine into the European Union would drag the entire bloc into war with Russia. European Union officials counter by stating that the current debate is only about the beginning of the accession process, which usually takes many years.