Moldova’s security is also Europe's concern, Vice President of the European Commission
The security of the Republic of Moldova is also important for Europe, said the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, in an interview with Radio Moldova. She stated that the European Union will support Moldova in strengthening its resilience against various threats, including disinformation.
“We must fight against foreign influence, and the steps we are taking in this direction rely on the tools we have available to help you build resilience. Of course, we aim to support you as much as possible, because Moldova’s security is also Europe’s concern,” said the Vice President of the European Commission.
The EU’s top diplomat emphasized that the European Union has developed several tools to counter disinformation. However, she stressed that the key element in this fight is media literacy and educating citizens to distinguish between truth and falsehood.
“You’re right—we do have digital tools that make this fight more challenging. One of my favourite quotes is from Winston Churchill after World War II. He said: ‘A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.’ That’s why it’s so important to tackle these challenges. Like other countries, Moldova must fight disinformation,” the official concluded.
We would like to point out that Russia has invested over 200 million euros in disinformation campaigns targeting the Republic of Moldova to influence the parliamentary elections in the fall of this year. The authorities in Chisinau warn that Russian propaganda networks are carrying out systematic actions to undermine citizens' trust in state institutions and provoke divisions in society, using fake materials, clone sites and messages translated into several languages to penetrate even the international media.
"There is dirty information deliberately spread in the villages and cities of Moldova with a single purpose: to divide the Moldovan society (...) So, the Russian Federation, according to the documentation made by our institutions, has already invested 200 million euros in propaganda and information, which is a percentage of the GDP of the Republic of Moldova", warns the Government spokesman, Daniel Vodă. In a press conference, he stated that the Russian propaganda networks “Pravda” and “Matryoshka” are responsible for spreading thousands of manipulative materials designed to undermine public trust in democratic institutions and influence the outcome of the elections.
“The “Matryoshka” campaign is not just about votes. It is about image. Whoever controls Moldova’s image abroad also controls its position in Europe. It is a test for the media, for institutions, for every citizen,” adds Andrei Curăraru, an expert at the WachDog.md platform.
In addition to Matryoshka, the “Pravda” network – consisting of over 190 sites and 140 subdomains—automatically redistributes content adapted for various regions. Disinformation Observatory data shows that the Republic of Moldova is the most intensely targeted country in the region, exceeding the propaganda average recorded in Western Europe by over 50 times.
