Sandu’s rival claims support for Ukraine, Moldovan president calls him ‘Moscow’s man’

Moldovan presidential candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo claimed he would continue supporting Ukraine, a statement dismissed by incumbent President Maia Sandu during a presidential debate on Oct. 27.

Stoianoglo, supported by the pro-Russian Party of Socialists, will face pro-EU Sandu in a run-off presidential vote on Nov. 3. Stoianoglo and Sandu won 25.95% and 42.49% in the first round on Oct. 20, respectively.

When Sandu asked how he would develop relations with Ukraine, Stoianoglo said that he would “establish good relations with all development partners.”

“We support Ukraine in the war, we provide them with humanitarian aid, and I am confident that our relations will only grow stronger during my presidency,” the presidential candidate said, adding, “Now, there are only militaristic statements.”

“Do you believe what you are saying? In Kyiv, they know you’re Moscow’s man,” Sandu retorted.

According to the incumbent president, Stoianoglo is backed by Igor Dodon, Moldova‘s pro-Russian head of state between 2016 and 2020 who is facing corruption and treason charges.

Moldovan authorities accused Moscow and pro-Russian oligarch Ilan Shor of buying votes to influence the elections against Sandu and against the parallel referendum on EU membership.

The non-binding referendum on enshrining Chisinau’s EU aspirations in the constitution passed with a razor-thin margin of 50.35%, a significantly lower result than expected.

Sandu has supported Ukraine throughout the full-scale war and took her country on a clearly pro-EU path, launching accession talks earlier this year.

Stoianoglo, Moldova’s former prosecutor general hailing from the largely pro-Russian region of Gagauzia, presented himself as a fresh candidate who could unify the opposition. Sandu and some observers said that his candidacy was merely Moscow’s ploy to put forward a more acceptable candidate than Dodon.