Overview

• The three leaders pledged support for Moldova’s EU bid and for countering destabilization, with Merz alleging daily Russian hybrid attacks and vowing help to protect the country’s freedom and sovereignty.
• President Maia Sandu cast the September 28 election as decisive and warned of disinformation, paid protests and vote-buying efforts attributed to Moscow.
• Their joint trip in the revived Weimar Triangle format featured a high-profile Independence Day appearance in central Chişinău before a large crowd.
• The separatist region of Transnistria, where Russian troops have been stationed since the 1990s, remains a central pressure point on Moldova’s security.
• Moldova holds EU candidate status with accession talks opened in 2024, and European officials stressed continued political backing and assistance in areas such as cyber defense and counter-disinformation ahead of the vote.