Moldova

Moldova’s President Maia Sandu hailed her pro-EU party’s victory in parliamentary elections despite allegations of widespread Russian interference, saying the results showed Russia had ‘failed’.

Moldova’s ruling pro-West governing party won a majority in the country’s tense Sunday elections, beating pro-Russian parties by a wide margin amid reported attempts to violently disrupt the vote and allegations of interference by Russia.

Results from more than 99 percent of the polling stations counted by Monday noon showed the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) clearly in the lead, despite analysis and opinion polls before the vote suggesting that pro-Russian parties would come close and possibly upset the ruling party’s parliamentary majority.

The small country is located between Ukraine and Romania. One of Europe’s poorest states, it was part of the Soviet Republic until 1991. The breakaway, semi-autonomous region of Transnistria, which lies along the border with Ukraine, has traditionally supported ties with Russia.

As a result, in recent years, Moldova has emerged as a battleground for influence between Russia and the West.

In a September 9 speech at the European Parliament, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, founder of PAS, declared that this election would be “the most consequential” in the country’s history.

For Moldovans, the elections represented a crucial turning point. The small country with Russia’s war in Ukraine on its doorstep could either continue on its current path towards European Union membership, or it could fall back into the old fold of Russian influence.

Ultimately, despite reports of pro-Russian groups threatening violence, with at least three people arrested in Moldova, and several bomb scares reported at polling booths abroad, the Moldovan diaspora played a key role in delivering a pro-EU victory.

What was the outcome of Moldova’s election?

Nearly all votes cast at polling stations had been counted by Monday. Some 1.6 million people cast their votes, making about 52.2 percent of eligible voters, which is higher than in previous elections.

The ruling pro-EU PAS, led by parliament president and PAS cofounder, Igor Grosu, won 50.16 percent of the vote and about 55 of the 101 seats in parliament, translating to a comfortable majority government, according to the country’s election agency.

The current prime minister, Dorin Recean, appointed by Sandu in February 2023, is expected to retain his position.

The pro-Russian Patriotic Electoral Bloc (BEP), an alliance of four parties led by former president and Russian ally Igor Dodon, came in a far second with 24.19 percent of the vote. The party won 26 seats in parliament. Two parties within the bloc, Heart of Moldova and Moldova Mare, were banned from participating in the election amid allegations they had received illicit funding from Russia.

In third place was the Alternative Party, which is also pro-EU with 7.97 percent of the vote, securing eight parliamentary seats.

Our Party, a populist group, and the conservative Democracy at Home party, respectively, won just more than 6 percent and 5 percent of the vote. That allowed them entry into parliament for the first time with 6 seats each.

What had polls predicted?

Opinion polls had suggested a much tighter race between the ruling PAS and the BEP, which was predicted to come a close second. That scenario would have disrupted PAS’s present control of parliament, potentially forcing it into an uncomfortable coalition with the BEP, and slowing down pro-EU reforms.

Before the Sunday polls, politicians and their supporters on both sides of the debate campaigned intensely on the streets and on TV, but also on online platforms such as TikTok, in an attempt to reach young people who make up about a quarter of the population.

What were the key issues?

EU accession was the single most important issue on the ballot this election. Under President Sandu, Moldova applied to join the EU in early 2022, just after Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine. Chisinau’s goal, alongside a better economy, has been to obtain security guarantees like its neighbour, Romania, which is a member of the EU and of the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO).

In July 2022, the EU granted Moldova – as well as Ukraine – candidate status, on the condition that democracy, human and minority rights, and rule of law reforms are made. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the time declared that the future of Moldova was in the EU.

However, while President Sandu’s PAS is eager to achieve Moldova’s EU membership by 2028 when her term expires, she has accused Moscow of attempting to scupper this plan in order to continue wielding influence over a country it once controlled.

Russia has considerable support in Moldova, and backs a breakaway, autonomous enclave – Transnistria, located along its border with Ukraine. About 1,500 Russian troops are present there, and the enclave’s government has requested Russian annexation several times.

In a referendum vote last October, just more than 50 percent of Moldovans voted “yes” to joining the EU, a tight margin of victory that was seen as a predictor of this week’s parliamentary elections.

At the time, President Sandu blamed “dirty interference” from Russia for her camp’s thin victory.

Did Russia interfere in these elections?

During the run-up to Moldova’s election, the authorities have repeatedly accused Moscow of conducting a “hybrid war” – offline and online – to help pro-Russian parties to win the vote. Moscow denies meddling in Moldovan politics.

Russia is specifically accused of being behind a widespread “voter-buying” operation – through which voters are bribed to vote for particular parties – and of launching cyberattacks on Moldovan government networks throughout the year.

The authorities have also claimed that Moscow illicitly funds pro-Russia political parties. Two pro-Russia parties – Heart of Moldova and Moldova Mare – were barred from the vote on Friday over allegations of illegal financing and vote buying.

According to researchers and online monitoring groups, Moldova was flooded with online disinformation and propaganda in the months leading up to the vote that attempted to tarnish PAS and raise doubts and concerns about the EU. Researchers found that these campaigns were powered by artificial intelligence (AI), with bots deployed in comment sections on social media or fake websites posting AI-generated content deriding the EU.

International security professor Stefan Wolff, from the University of Birmingham, told Al Jazeera that Russia had indeed tried to influence Sunday’s elections to bring Moldova back under its influence.

“There is very little doubt in my mind and quite convincing evidence that Russia has done basically two things: Tried to bribe Moldovans literally with cash to vote for anti-European parties, and it has exerted massive campaigns of disinformation about what a pro-European choice would mean,” he said.

Wolff added that Russia also attempted to “discredit” President Sandu and PAS’s parliamentary candidates. “This really was a massive Russian operation, but it also, I think, shows the limits of how far Russia can push its influence in the post-Soviet space,” he said.

Google, in a press statement last week, said it had noticed coordinated campaigns targeting the Moldovan elections on YouTube. “We have terminated more than 1,000 channels since June 2024 for being part of coordinated influence operations targeting Moldova.”

What other disruptions to the election were there?

Two brothers and a third man had been arrested in Chisinau on suspicion of planning riots during the election on Sunday, Moldovan police said. According to local media, the police found flammable material in the possession of the suspects.

Last week, police arrested 74 people during 250 raids of groups linked to alleged Russian plans to instigate riots during the vote. Authorities said the suspects, who were between 19 and 49, had “systematically travelled” to Serbia, where they received training for “disorder and destabilisation”.

How did the Moldovan diaspora vote?

Some 17.5 percent of the votes – 288,000 – were cast by Moldovans living abroad, mostly in Europe and the US.

Bomb scares were reported at polling units in Italy, Romania, Spain and the US. Some polling units in Moldova also reported similar scares. The elections agency did not break down how the diaspora voted.

Voters in the enclave of Transnistria – where many people hold dual citizenship with Russia – faced logistical challenges, as they had to travel to polling stations 20km (12 miles) outside Transnistria. Media reports noted long car queues at Moldovan checkpoints on Sunday morning.

Some pro-Russian voters from the enclave told reporters they had been sent back and forth between polling stations because of bomb scares.

How has PAS reacted to the election result?

Speaking to reporters at the PAS headquarters in Chisinau on Monday after the party’s win, PAS leader Grosu reiterated the allegations against Russia.

“It was not only PAS that won these elections, it was the people who won,” Grosu said.

“The Russian Federation threw into battle everything it had that was most vile – mountains of money, mountains of lies, mountains of illegalities. It used criminals to try to turn our entire country into a haven for crime. It filled everything with hatred.”

Prime Minister Dorin Recean also said Moldovans “demonstrated that their freedom is priceless and their freedom cannot be bought, their freedom cannot be influenced by Russia’s propaganda and scaremongering”.

“This is a huge win for the people of Moldova, considering the fully-fledged hybrid war that Russia waged in Moldova,” Recean added. “The major task right now is to bring back the society together, because what Russia achieved is to produce a lot of tension and division in society.”

Last November, Romania cancelled its own presidential elections after authorities alleged that Russian interference had helped a far-right leader win the polls. A second election was held in May this year, which was won by the centrist and pro-EU candidate Nicusor Dan.

What happens next?

The election result was immediately denied by BEP leader Dodon, who called for protests at the parliament building in Chisinau after claiming – without providing evidence – that PAS had meddled with the vote.

In an address on national TV late on Sunday before the results were declared, Dodon claimed his party had won the vote. He called on the PAS government to resign, and asked supporters to take to the streets.

“We will not allow destabilisation,” the politician said. “The citizens have voted. Their vote must be respected even if you don’t like it”.

On Monday, dozens of people gathered to protest the results. It is unclear if the politician will launch a legal challenge.

Meanwhile, President Sandu will now have to nominate a prime minister who will form a new government. Analysts say the president will likely opt for continuity with Prime Minister Recean, who is pro-EU and previously served as Sandu’s defence and security adviser.

Sept. 29 (UPI) — Moldova’s pro-Europe party of President Maia Sandu has claimed victory in Parliamentary elections that are being framed as a repudiation of Russia and its alleged actions to undermine the small nation’s democracy.

The Sunday contest is also being seen as a win for Moldova’s bid to join the European Union, which it has sought since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, fearing it could be the Kremlin’s next target.

“A landslide victory for #Moldova’s European path,” Moldova’s Minister of Foreign Affairs said in an English-language statement on X. “The ruling Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) retains the absolute majority in Parliament. This is the merit of Moldovans at home & abroad who defied expectations.

“Kremlin lost. Democracy won,” he added.

According to unofficial results from Moldova’s Central Electoral Commission, PAS secured 50.16% of the vote share, with 99.9% of the 1.6 million votes counted.

The pro-Russia Patriotic Electoral Bloc of Igor Dodon finished a distant second with a little more than 24% of the vote.

Dodon has called for protests on Monday outside of Parliament, stating it was in defense against the “threat to democracy” and “the dictatorship of PAS.”

“We will come out without party symbols, carrying only the national flag, to defend democracy and the voice of the people,” he said.

Moldova police issued a statement early Monday saying it is aware that people have been promised money to attend the protest. It had earlier said it was also aware of voters being illegally transported from Russia

Ahead of voting, Sandu took to X to describe the election as the nation’s “most consequential.”

“Its outcome will decide whether we consolidate our democracy and join the EU, or whether Russia drags us back into a grey zone, making us a regional risk,” she said.

“Moldova’s future must be decided by Moldovans, not Moscow.”

Igor Grosu, head of PAS, said efforts by Russia to interfere in the election included illegal transportation of voters, vote theft and bomb threats. The foreign ministry confirmed in a statement that bomb threats were made against polling stations in Brussels, Belgium; Rome and Genoa, Italy, Bucharest, Romania, North Carolina’s Asheville, United States; and Alicante, Spain.

The ministry later confirmed that all bomb threats were false.

“Russia’s attempts to hijack the electoral process have been huge,” Grosu said in a statement amid voting, stating it was unclear what effect it would have.

“We pray for patience and calm.”

Moldova applied for EU membership a week after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February of 2022. The former Soviet Union nation has been fighting Russian interference for years and is home to the pro-Kremlin breakaway Transnistria region that borders Ukraine.

Ruling party decisively victorious in parliamentary election widely viewed as a choice between Europe and Russia.

Moldova’s pro-Western ruling party has decisively won a parliamentary election which was plagued by claims of Russian interference and was widely seen as a definitive choice between staying in Europe’s orbit or lurching into Moscow’s.

With nearly all polling station reports counted on Monday, electoral data showed the pro-European Union Party of Action and Solidarity had 50.2 percent of the vote, while the pro-Russian Patriotic Electoral Bloc has 24.2 percent, according to the Associated Press News agency. The Russia-friendly Alternativa Bloc came third, followed by the populist Our Party.

The pivotal ballot in the nation’s future Sunday pitted the governing pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity against several Russia-friendly opponents.

Leading up to Sunday’s vote, Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean warned of Russian interference, saying Moscow is spending “hundreds of millions” of euros as part of an alleged “hybrid war” to try to seize power, which he described as “the final battle for our country’s future.”

Russia had denied Moldova’s claims that it was waging a disinformation campaign and looking to buy votes and stir unrest.

Geographically, Moldova is landlocked between Ukraine and EU member Romania.

The country has, in recent years, moved westwards in attaining candidate status to the EU in 2022, just after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Cristian Cantir, a Moldovan associate professor of international relations at Oakland University, told AP that PAS’s victory is “a clear win for pro-European forces in Moldova, which will be able to ensure continuity in the next few years in the pursuit of their ultimate goal of EU integration.”

“A PAS majority saves the party from having to form a coalition that would have most likely been unstable and would have slowed down the pace of reforms to join the EU,” he said, adding that “Moldova will continue to be in a difficult geopolitical environment characterized by Russia’s attempts to pull it back into its sphere of influence.”

The election day was marked by a string of incidents, ranging from bomb threats at multiple polling stations abroad to cyberattacks on electoral and government infrastructure, voters photographing their ballots and some being illegally transported to polling stations. Three people were also detained, suspected of plotting to cause unrest after the vote.

On Friday, President Maia Sandu called the vote the country’s “most consequential election”. “Its outcome will decide whether we consolidate our democracy and join the EU, or whether Russia drags us back into a grey zone, making us a regional risk,” Sandu wrote on X.

Recean, in the meantime, had also stressed the threat from Russia: “I call on every Moldovan at home and across Europe: We cannot change what Russia does, but we can change what we do as a people,” he said. “Turn worry into mobilisation and thoughtful action … Help stop their schemes.”

Sept. 28 (UPI) — Voters in Moldova headed to the polls Sunday in a key parliamentary election that could tip the Balkan nation closer to European Union accession or give Russia a major political foothold in Europe, as police responded to reports of bomb threats over the election.

In the election Sunday, all 101 seats in the country’s parliament are up for grabs. Though the ruling Action and Solidarity party is expected to remain the largest party, it could lose its outright majority that could make it more difficult for Maia Sandu, the country’s pro-Western president, to push through legislation for changes required for EU accession.

“Dear Moldovans, go vote! Moldova, our beloved home, is in danger and needs the help of each and every one of you. You can save it today with your vote. Tomorrow may be too late,” Sandu said in a statement while casting her ballot in Chișinău. “We are a small but strong country. Let us move forward in peace toward a better future.”

Moldova’s Central Electoral Commission, which handles the election, said in a statement Sunday that more than 1.5 million voters cast ballots in the election, making the participation rate more than 52% of registered voters. Polls closed at 9 p.m. local time as Moldovans anxiously await the results of the election in coming days.

Ahead of the election, Sandu warned on social media Friday that the election could determine whether “Russia drags us back into a grey zone, making us a regional risk” and said the election should be determined “by Moldovans, not Moscow.”

Moldova, a small nation that gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, lies between Ukraine and Romania. This year’s election has been fraught with allegations of illegal financing of pro-Russian parties, covert propaganda campaigns and attempted destabilization plots.

“The commission calls on all those involved in the electoral process, especially electoral contestants, to wait for the completion of the voting process, counting and announcement of the final results. In case of suspicions of possible irregularities, we recommend that they use the legal mechanisms of challenge,” the Central Electoral Commission said Sunday.

On Friday, the commission abruptly struck candidates from two parties, Heart of Moldova and Moldova Mare, also known as Greater Moldova, from the ballot. It cited illegal financing, vote-buying, undeclared foreign funds and violations of the gender quota in candidate lists. Heart of Moldova’s exclusion followed a court ruling restricting its activities for a year.

The commission announced Sunday that the Supreme Court of Justice upheld the Friday decision to cancel the registration of the Greater Moldova party, invalidating it as an option on ballots after an emergency appeal by the populist and pro-Russian party.

It also revealed that earlier in the day, the commission was notified by the General Police Inspectorate that it would urgently relocate polling stations on the left bank of the Nistru River to backup locations “in order to ensure the safety of all citizens in that area.”

The left bank of the Nistru River refers to Transnistria, a pro-Russian breakaway region that is separated from government-controlled Moldova by a demilitarized security buffer.

National police from the technical-explosive unit responded after receiving automated phone calls reporting bomb threats at several locations in the security zone, authorities said in a statement Sunday. They said specialized services acted according to protocols to ensure citizens’ safety.

Police also encouraged citizens to go out and vote, rely only on official sources of information, and be cautious of narratives deliberately promoted by actors seeking to undermine the electoral process.

In another statement, the National Police of Moldova announced that it has information about certain groups of people who intend, starting at midnight and throughout Monday, to organize disruptions and destabilization in the capital during a protest.

Authorities stressed that law enforcement will not allow violations of the law, public disorder, threats to citizens, or risks to national security. Police warned protest organizers that they are legally responsible for the conduct at the demonstrations.

Police later added that authorities had detained three people, including two brothers who had been under surveillance for nearly two months.

The men are alleged to be employees of security forces in the breakaway Transnistria region and acted as coordinators responsible for logistics, monitoring, and supplying groups involved in the plans to destabilize the election.

During the searches, law enforcement officials confiscated items such as pyrotechnics and flammable materials, which authorities reported were intended to incite panic and disrupt public order.

The Central Election Commission also acknowledged reports that some observers were denied access to certain polling stations, but clarified that only accredited observers are allowed access to polling sites for monitoring.

Moldova election rocked by bans on pro-Russian parties as EU path hangs in balance.

Moldova’s electoral commission has barred two pro-Russian parties from taking part in this weekend’s parliamentary election, a high-stakes vote overshadowed by claims of Russian interference.

On Friday, the commission excluded the Heart of Moldova and Moldova Mare parties, citing allegations of illegal financing, voter bribery and undeclared foreign funds. Both parties had campaigned on closer ties with Moscow, challenging the pro-Western government ahead of Sunday’s ballot.

The decision against the Heart of Moldova followed a ruling by the Chisinau Court of Appeal that restricted the party’s activities for 12 months. The Ministry of Justice requested the ban after searches earlier this month led to accusations of money laundering, illicit financing and attempts to bribe voters.

The party rejected the charges, describing the move as a political purge.

“This isn’t justice, but a final act of a dirty show orchestrated in advance by authorities with a single goal: to silence us,” it said in a statement. Its leader, Irina Vlah, also condemned the ruling, calling it a “political spectacle, concocted a long time ago” by the governing party.

The electoral commission said all candidates put forward by Heart of Moldova would be removed from the Russia-friendly Patriotic Electoral Bloc (BEP), which has been one of the main challengers to the governing party of Action and Solidarity (PAS). The bloc has been given 24 hours to adjust its candidate list to remain eligible.

Later the same day, the commission also barred Moldova Mare, citing vote-buying, hidden financing from abroad and its involvement in what it called a “camouflaged electoral bloc” linked to a banned party.

Sunday’s vote is seen as pivotal for Moldova, a former Soviet republic that became a European Union candidate state in 2022. The outcome will decide whether the country continues on a pro-European track or veers back towards Moscow’s sphere of influence.

Since 2021, the PAS has held a strong parliamentary majority under President Maia Sandu, but analysts warn it could lose ground as Russia-friendly blocs consolidate.

With no strong pro-European partners on the ballot, the PAS faces pressure from multiple fronts.

Russia, which has long been accused of destabilising Moldova, dismissed the allegations as “anti-Russian” and “unsubstantiated”.

After Monday’s mass raids, pro-Western President Maia Sandu once again accuses Moscow of interference.

At least 74 people have been arrested in Moldova over an alleged plot to organise “mass riots” in the Eastern European nation as President Maia Sandu has accused Russia of an attempt to sway next weekend’s parliamentary elections.

The police said the suspects were detained on Monday after more than 250 raids were carried out across the country. “The searches are related to a criminal case into the preparation of mass riots and destabilisation, which were coordinated from the Russian Federation through criminal elements,” police said in a statement on Monday.

Victor Furtuna, a leading Moldovan prosecutor, said those arrested were aged 19 to 45 and most of them had received training in Serbia.

Pro-Western Sandu, who has described Sunday’s voting as the “most consequential” in the nation’s history, accused the Kremlin of pouring “hundreds of millions of euros” into the country in an attempt to sway the elections.

“People are intoxicated daily with lies,” Sandu said after Monday’s raids. “Hundreds of individuals are paid to provoke disorder, violence and spread fear.”

“I appeal to all citizens: We must not allow our country to be handed over to foreign interests,” the president added.

Moscow has long denied meddling in Moldova’s domestic affairs.

The Kremlin has also been accused of interfering in the politics of Moldova’s neighbour, Romania.

Last year, far-right politician Calin Georgescu won the first round of Romania’s presidential election before it was annulled by the Constitutional Court, which accused Russia of meddling in the electoral process. Moscow denied any involvement.

Georgescu, a strong critic of NATO, was barred from competing in this year’s election, rerun by Romania’s central election authority.

Sandu’s ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) has sought to cast Moldova’s elections as critical not just for Moldova but also for the wider continent. The president has warned that the country would be used as “a launchpad for hybrid attacks on the European Union” if it were run by a pro-Russian government.

Amid widespread Western accusations of Russian interference in Moldova, German, French and Polish leaders have recently visited the country, which applied for EU membership in 2022 after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Although the Moldovan government is ahead in most pre-election polls, political analysts believe the result could be close.

The opposition, led by the pro-Russian Patriotic bloc, is trying to tap into voters’ frustrations over economic hardships and unfulfilled reform promises.

Igor Dodon, a former president who is the joint leader of the Patriotic bloc, said on the Telegram messaging app that some of its members were targeted in Monday’s raids.

The Moldovan government “is trying to intimidate us, frighten the people and silence us”, he said.

Last month, the fugitive Moldovan businessman Ilan Shor, who has been sanctioned by the United States and EU for being an alleged Russian agent, offered his countrymen $3,000 to join antigovernment protests.

With more than one million Moldovans living abroad, diaspora voters could play an important role in Sunday’s voting.

A record 300,000 Moldovans in the diaspora cast ballots in the second round of last year’s presidential election, helping Sandu win re-election in a country whose population is only 2.4 million.

Those sanctioned engaged in vote-buying and bribery ahead of the country’s 2024 election, the EU says.

The European Union has imposed sanctions on seven individuals and three entities it said are responsible for efforts to destabilise Moldova’s democracy, including through vote-buying and political bribery linked to the country’s 2024 presidential election and referendum on EU accession.

In a statement on Tuesday, the European Council said those sanctioned were engaged in “actions aimed at destabilising, undermining or threatening the sovereignty and independence as well as democracy, the rule of law and stability of the Republic of Moldova.”

Among those targeted are figures closely associated with Ilan Shor, the exiled pro-Russian Moldovan businessman and political figure already under EU sanctions. Shor is accused of funding political operations from abroad and leading efforts to spread disinformation.

The council named Shor’s Victory political bloc as one of the three entities sanctioned. It accused the bloc of running orchestrated campaigns to buy votes and spreading misinformation during the EU referendum.

In October 2024, Moldovans voted ‘yes’ to constitutionally codifying their goal to join the EU by a razor-thin margin amid accusations of Russian meddling.

Another group, the Cultural Educational Centre of Moldova, was listed for facilitating interference in the elections. The third entity, A7, was cited for its links to Russian political influence operations.

Those listed will face asset freezes and travel bans across the EU, the council said.

This is the second time the EU has used its special sanctions system for Moldova, which was set up in 2023 at the request of the Moldovan government. It comes as the country faces growing threats linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“The EU remains unwavering in its support for the Republic of Moldova and its peace, resilience, security, stability, and economic growth in the face of destabilising activities by external actors,” the council said, adding that destabilisation attempts would be met with firm measures.

With Tuesday’s announcement, a total of 23 individuals and five entities have been sanctioned under the Moldovan government. EU officials said the listings send a clear signal to actors attempting to undermine the country’s pro-European trajectory.

The move comes as Moldova, a former Soviet republic, continues to strengthen its ties with the EU. The country was granted candidate status in 2022 and began accession talks last year.

The White House has sent letters to 20 different countries this week announcing new tariffs.

US President Donald Trump has issued a new round of tariff letters to six countries, including Algeria, Brunei, Iraq, Libya, Moldova and the Philippines.

The letters, which were sent on Wednesday, call for tariffs of 30 percent on Algeria and Iraq; 25 percent on Brunei, Libya and Moldova; 20 percent on the Philippines – the largest of the trading partners announced on Wednesday. The tariffs are expected to start on August 1.

Trump posted the letters on Truth Social after the expiration of a 90-day negotiating period that began with a baseline levy of 10 percent. Trump is giving countries more time to negotiate before his August 1 deadline, but he has insisted there will be no extensions for the countries that receive letters.

The Census Bureau reported that last year, the US ran a trade imbalance on goods of $1.4bn with Algeria, $5.9bn with Iraq, $900m  with Libya, $4.9bn with the Philippines, $111m with Brunei and $85m with Moldova.

The imbalance represents the difference between what the US exported to those countries and what it imported. None of the countries listed are major industrial rivals to the United States.

Taken together, the trade imbalances with those six countries are essentially a rounding error in a US economy with a gross domestic product (GDP) of $30 trillion.

Wednesday’s letters are the latest in a slate the Trump Administration sent to nations around the globe. On Monday, he threatened Japan and South Korea with 25 percent tariffs, stepping up pressure on the two historical US allies and a dozen other economies to reach trade deals with Washington.

Over the weekend, the Trump administration began sending letters to countries informing them that the US would begin to reimpose the tariffs it postponed in April. Trump’s erratic approach to tariffs is triggering widespread economic effects on the US and countries around the world.

In the US, the most recent jobs report showed little to no growth in sectors including trade and construction, industries largely impacted by tariffs. The US GDP contracted 0.5 percent in the first quarter of the year, according to data released by the US Department of Commerce’s report last month.

This comes amid a handful of looming trade negotiations across the globe that will impact the US economy and many of its key trade partners.

The Trump administration has only put forth two trade agreements thus far, which are with the United Kingdom and Vietnam.

US markets have stayed stable despite the new tariffs. As of 12:30pm Eastern Time (16:30 GMT), the Nasdaq is up 0.5 percent. The S&P 500 is about even with the market open, only up about 0.2 percent, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up by 0.1 percent.

Lexie Limitless, a US YouTuber who became the youngest person to visit every nation in the world at the age of 21, has named her four least-favourite European countries

A globe-trotting YouTuber who has visited every country in the world has shared her thoughts on the 44 nations in Europe, saying there are four she would not return to. American Lexie Limitless holds the impressive title of being the youngest person to visit every country in the world at just 21.

In her latest video, ‘I travelled to every country in Europe so you don’t have to’, Lexie reveals some of her favourite “hidden gems” from the continent – including Slovenia, Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Cesky Krumlov in Czech Republic.

However, she also discusses four nations that didn’t quite hit the mark for her.

Lexie said: “Alright, it’s time to talk about one of my least favourite subjects, and I got to say in advance that travel is so subjective. Places that I’ve been that I didn’t necessarily connect with might not be the same for everyone.

“Everyone’s preferences are different, but I think that the countries that didn’t really leave as much of an impression on me as some of the others in Europe would probably be Belarus, Slovakia, Moldova and Bulgaria.”

She continued: “If I had to name a few specifically, I think it was just that in those countries, in particular, it’s so important to know a good local who’s going to show you around and show you all the best spots.”

Lexie believes travel is “mostly about” the people you meet along the way. As she didn’t know anybody in these countries, she had a “really difficult” time obtaining “unique experiences”.

She added that it’s almost “unfair” to compare smaller nations like Moldova or Bulgaria, to a country like Italy, as they have some “advantages” geographically, noting the “diversity” in their “environment“.

The seasoned traveller also stated that she tries to “avoid” naming specific countries that she may not necessarily recommend and would “absolutely love” to go back if she had “more of a purpose” or reason to be there beyond sightseeing.

Belarus, a former Soviet republic, is a landlocked nation in Eastern Europe that shares its borders with Russia, Ukraine, and Poland, among others. Since 1994, it has been ruled by President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been dubbed “Europe’s last dictator.”

Situated within the heart of the continent, Slovakia borders the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Poland and Ukraine. It was formerly part of Czechoslovakia until the so-called “velvet divorce” in 1993.

Meanwhile, Moldova, another landlocked country and former Soviet republic, is nestled between Ukraine and Romania. The BBC reports that two-thirds of its population share Romanian roots, highlighting their shared heritage.

Bulgaria, situated in the eastern Balkans with a coastline along the Black Sea, is predominantly Slavonic-speaking. Since the fall of Communism, it has been steadily transitioning towards a market economy.

An eerie relic of the Soviet Union, this separatist region filled with Lenin statues and Putin souvenirs declared independence back in 1990 – but is internationally not recognised as an actual country

Touted as a ‘surreal relic of Soviet times’, this tiny country is attracting tourists from around the world – despite technically not even existing.

Eerily trapped in a ‘time warp bubble’, Transnistria is a separatist region sandwiched between the Dniester River and Ukrainian border. In 1990, it broke away from Moldova, becoming a de facto independent, semi-presidential republic with its own government, parliament, military, police, currency, postal system and vehicle registration.

Transnistria has even adopted its very own constitution, flag (which features the communist hammer and sickle), national anthem and coat of arms. However, it is internationally unrecognised, and is still seen as part of Moldova.

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With political, economical, and military ties to Russia, the narrow strip of land – located some three hours away from the UK – has preserved its idolisation of the USSR, despite its downfall. In the capital of Tiraspol, tourists will be able to spot soaring statues of Vladimir Lenin, run-down buses travelling along electrified lines, and souvenir shops flogging posters of Putin.

It feels as though the area has become stuck in the 1950s, and has recently become a potential site for Russia to deploy 10,000 troops. The area is also facing ‘deep economic contraction’ as Russia – which had previously supplied the de-facto state with near-free gas, has started to impose tighter restrictions.

“A referendum on independence in September 2006, not recognised by Moldova or the international community, saw the territory reassert its demand for independence and vote in support of ensuing a union with Russia,” reports the BBC. “After Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine sealed its border with Transnistria – this had been the main route for imports – making Transnistria wholly reliant on Moldova for imports through its own border.”

It’s therefore no surprise that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) currently advises Brits against all travel to Transnistria. “There is widespread military activity in Ukraine, including close to some Moldovan borders,” the body warns.

“Transnistria is outside the control of the Moldovan government. FCDO’s ability to offer support is extremely limited and will be more limited if there is military action on or near the Moldova-Ukraine border.”

The UK government also warns that Moldova announced an energy state of emergency on December 16, 2024, linked to the cut-off of gas supplies on January 1, 2025. This may result in widespread blackouts.

Despite the warnings, several Brits have headed over to Transnistria, promoting it as the ‘cheapest’ place in Europe. User Kieran Brown, who visited last year, raved about the region – claiming a bottle of vodka from the shops costs just $1 (approximately 74p).

“The Soviet vibes can really be felt here in the capital of Tiraspol,” he said. “Many things have been left unchanged since the USSR. This truly was one of the most interesting places I’ve ever visited in my life.”

*Heading to a country on the FCDO’s do not travel list could void your insurance. You can read the government’s full advice here.

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