Romania

Evghenia Gutul’s victory in the race for governor of autonomous Gagauzia has been dogged by allegations of irregularities. If confirmed, her pro-Russian party, bankrolled by a fugitive oligarch, will have a seat in Moldova’s pro-European cabinet. Evghenia Gutul may not have much of a political background to speak of, but …

In March, the European Union announced an update to its 2014 Maritime Security Strategy (EUMSS), identifying both new and persisting threats to European security at sea. Undoubtedly, Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine helped influence the updated EUMSS approach to the Black and Mediterranean seas, with implicit and explicit …

Moldova lacks technical and administrative capacity required for EU accession. Brussels needs to do much more to put its European perspective on track. For Moldova, 2022 was the worst of years and the best of years. Russia’s war in Ukraine turned life upside down. The country, often ranked as the …

Romania banned Chinese companies from public infrastructure projects in 2021; two that predate the measure have gone far from smoothly. Catalin Drula recalls visiting Montenegro in 2016, when work was just beginning on what was supposed to be a 143-kilometre highway from the Adriatic port of Bar to the border …

Ukraine has had considerable success using the drone against Russia since Moscow’s invasion last year. Turkey and Romania have signed a multimillion dollar deal to sell Bucharest 18 Bayraktar TB2 drones. The deal further cements Turkey’s military relations with eastern Europe amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Turkey’s ambassador to …

The citizens of Gagauzia are preparing to elect their next governor. A victory of one of the many pro-Russian candidates could destabilize Moldova and derail its EU aspirations. A new governor will be elected on April 30 in Gagauzia, a traditionally pro-Russian autonomous region in southern Moldova. The outcome of …

All along the stretch from the Baltic to the Black Sea, the alliance deploys strike battle groups. “Sea Shield-2023” against the backdrop of a provocation It is noteworthy that the attack of sea drones on Sevastopol was carried out during the Sea Shield-2023 exercises, which are taking place off the …

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU has stepped up its engagement in Eastern Europe. But it must now go beyond providing soft power support and become a security player in the region. Since Russia’s war in Ukraine began in February 2022, we have seen a different EU in …

By replacing ‘Moldovan language’ with ‘Romanian’ in the country’s constitution, Moldova’s ruling party hopes to shore up its pro-European tilt. Abill to enshrine Romanian as the official language of Moldova in the country’s constitution, replacing ‘Moldovan’, is expected to pass a second and final reading in parliament on Thursday, in …

Moldova’s new government faces renewed hybrid threats from Russia, with experts fearing a sophisticated disinformation campaign will be enacted to force another change of power. The previous administration, headed by Natalia Gavrilița and inaugurated in August 2021, resigned on February 10. It had faced multiple crises including the war in …