When pro-European forces won in Moldova in November, their victory only passed by the slimmest of margins. A concerted Russian influence campaign was potentially behind it.
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00:00In the Moldovan breakaway region of Transnistria, time has stood still since the breakup of the Soviet Union.
00:08Since 1990, the region has been under Russian influence,
00:12and while not internationally recognized, has its own flag and capital, Tiraspol.
00:18Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, those who express ideas in opposition to Russia's narrative
00:23have often found themselves behind bars.
00:26Euronews spoke to Viktor Pleskanov, who hung a Ukrainian flag
00:30and posted freedom for Ukraine on his social media in 2022, landing him in prison.
00:51Pleskanov explained he tried to commit suicide in prison.
00:55International pressure and efforts by his wife led to his release earlier this year.
01:16Even though Pleskanov was released, many political prisoners remain in Tiraspol jails.
01:22This has become a major obstacle to Moldova's accession to the EU,
01:26especially for the recently re-elected pro-European president, Maja Sandu.
01:32Most young people in Moldova's capital align themselves with Europe and the West, but the margin is tiny.
01:39If Moldova joins the bloc, it would bring with it the pro-Russian separatists,
01:44something Brussels does not want.