The EU’s foreign policy chief is in Chișinău for talks on security, defence and Moldova’s European path, as the country continues to face pressure linked to Russia’s war against Ukraine and regional instability.
The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, has begun a two-day visit to Moldova focused on security, defence cooperation and the country’s relationship with the European Union.
The visit, taking place on 7 and 8 May, begins with meetings in Chișinău with Moldova’s Defence Minister Anatolie Nosatîi and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi. The published agenda also includes meetings on 8 May with President Maia Sandu, Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu and other senior officials, followed by a joint press conference with the Moldovan president.
The timing places Moldova’s security position near the centre of the EU’s eastern policy agenda. The country borders Ukraine and has faced persistent concerns over Russian pressure, energy vulnerability, disinformation, cyber activity and the unresolved status of the Transnistrian region. Although Moldova is not a member of NATO, it has deepened cooperation with the EU on resilience, security and crisis response since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Chișinău meetings are expected to focus on defence resilience, regional security and EU-Moldova cooperation. Moldova has been seeking to strengthen its capacity to resist hybrid threats while advancing its EU accession process. The two tracks are closely linked: for Brussels, Moldova’s reform path is no longer only a governance question, but also part of the wider security architecture around Ukraine and the Black Sea region.
Moldova formally opened EU accession negotiations in June 2024, after applying for membership in March 2022 and receiving candidate status later that year. The accession process remains dependent on reforms in areas including the rule of law, public administration, anti-corruption measures and alignment with EU legislation. Security cooperation has become an increasingly important part of that relationship.
The EU has also built a more explicit security and defence relationship with Moldova. In 2024, Moldova became the first country to sign a Security and Defence Partnership with the EU, covering cooperation in resilience, cyber security, countering hybrid threats, crisis management and support for the country’s defence sector. That partnership now provides a framework for the kind of discussions taking place during Kallas’s visit.
For Moldova, the immediate strategic challenge is how to strengthen its institutions without becoming a direct party to the war next door. The country has hosted Ukrainian refugees, faced economic disruption from the conflict, and dealt with repeated concerns over attempts to influence its domestic politics. These pressures have made Moldova one of the most exposed countries in the EU’s eastern neighbourhood.
The Transnistrian issue remains central to that exposure. The separatist region, internationally recognised as part of Moldova, lies along the Ukrainian border and has hosted Russian troops for decades. The region has not become a full second front in the war, but its status continues to affect Moldova’s security planning and its ability to exercise full control over its territory.
Energy security is another major part of the wider picture. Moldova has spent recent years reducing dependence on Russian gas and improving connections with European energy markets. Those changes have lessened some immediate vulnerabilities, but energy pricing, infrastructure protection and supply security remain politically sensitive in a small economy exposed to regional shocks.
The EU’s interest in Moldova is also tied to the Black Sea. A stable Moldova strengthens the EU’s eastern flank between Romania and Ukraine, while instability would create additional pressure on an already stressed regional environment. That makes support for Moldova relevant not only to enlargement policy but also to wider European security planning.
Kallas’s visit will be watched for any new commitments on defence capacity, resilience funding, cyber support or political backing for accession. Even without a major announcement, the trip signals that Moldova remains high on the EU foreign policy agenda at a time when Brussels is trying to connect enlargement, security and support for Ukraine more closely.
For Chișinău, the visit offers an opportunity to reinforce its position as a European partner under sustained external pressure. For the EU, it is a reminder that Moldova’s accession path is not taking place in a neutral strategic environment. The country’s future relationship with Brussels is being shaped simultaneously by domestic reform, Russian pressure, the war in Ukraine and the EU’s own need for a more coherent eastern policy.
