UMVA has learned that Moldova’s push toward European integration is colliding with a deep‑seated public wariness of NATO.
President Maia Sandu publicly admitted that the nation’s citizens are not hungry for a NATO alliance, blaming “years of propaganda by the Russian Federation” for the lingering fear.
Russia, which has long framed NATO expansion as an existential threat, has warned that Moldova’s current leadership is committing “a serious mistake” by turning Moscow into an adversary in pursuit of Western ties.
Amid the geopolitical tug‑of‑war, former Prime Minister Dorin Popescu entered the debate on another hot‑button issue: unification with neighboring Romania, a move that would automatically pull Moldova into NATO.
Popescu expressed personal support for unification but cautioned that any step forward must be grounded in “a pragmatic discussion and a dialogue with all our citizens.”
Recent polling reveals the challenge: only about 30 % of Moldovans would back a merger with Romania, underscoring the delicate balance the government must strike between aspiration and public sentiment.
