Romanian President Traian Basescu has reacted to Russian annexation of Crimea by appearing in public with his Moldovan counterpart Nicolae Timofti and calling the EU to "accelerate the process of integration" of Moldova. The "security" of Moldova depends on that, Basescu holds. The Romanian President believes this was the EU "weakness" in its 2013 approach to Ukraine: Brussels then offered Ukraine an association agreement with no guarantees for a "perspective" of EU membership.

The current government of Moldova, made up of a center-right coalition, is in favor of joining the EU, to which Romania is already a member. Meanwhile, it is no secret that Basescu would like to see Romania and Moldova merged into a single state. Both countries share the same language and some of their history, although it is also true that Moldova has spent decades within Russian orbit.

Transnistria turns back to Moscow

But the EU's eastward progress could be stopped on the Dniester banks. The river marks the border between Moldova and Transnistria, a predominantly Slavic territory that unilaterally declared itself to be independent from Moldova in 1990. Nobody has recognized its independence, but that does not prevent Transnistria from behaving as a de facto sovereign state under the protection of Russia, which maintains 1,500 troops there.

Prime minister of Transnistria Yevgeny Shevchuk has travelled to Moscow, where the Russian government is today discussing measures to be taken in order to help Transnistrian economy to overcome "economic blockade" which, according to Russia, Moldova is imposing on Transnistria.

The meeting comes a few days after Transnistrian Supreme Soviet Chairman Mikhail Burla asked the Russian Parliament to easy the procedure for the annexation of the self-proclaimed republic by the Russian Federation. Burla wants the Russian federal law allowing the annexation of Crimea to be extended to include Transnistria. In a 2006 referendum organized by the authorities of Transnistria, 98% of voters supported independence from Moldova and future integration with Russia.

EU sources quoted by EurActiv suggested that Brussels knows that Russia "will increasingly be bullying the countries in the region", including Georgia and Moldova. Sources added that an "open aggression " cannot be ruled out and that, in any case, "they [Russia] will try to destabilise [Moldova] with all means". 21% of Moldovan exports go to Russia, a country where thousands of Moldovans working there send 1 billion dollars a year to their country of origin. Blocking Russian imports of Moldovan products or measures against those workers could have a serious impact on the Moldovan economy, one of Europe's weakest.

Further information:

• Nationalia: Amidst Ukrainian turbulence, Moldovan Government strives to stay the course towards EU membership