Russia aims to deploy 10,000 troops to Transnistria and install a pro-Kremlin government in Moldova to enable it, Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean told the Financial Times in an interview published June 4.

“They want to consolidate their military presence in the Transnistrian region,” Recean said, adding that Russia’s goal is to increase leverage not only near Ukraine’s southwest but also close to NATO member Romania.

Although Russia has maintained a limited military presence in Transnistria since the 1990s, only 1,000-1,500 troops remain today.

“Currently, their forces there are almost meaningless,” Recean noted.

However, he warned that a Russia-leaning government in Chisinau could authorize a buildup, citing Moldovan intelligence estimates for the 10,000-troop target.

Recean accused Russia of meddling in Moldova’s upcoming parliamentary elections through propaganda, illegal financing, and “spending the equivalent of 1% of Moldova’s GDP” on influence operations in 2024.

He said Moldovan authorities had intercepted citizens carrying large sums of Russian cash and discovered that 130,000 voters in the previous election received money from Russian sources.

“This is a huge effort to undermine Moldovan democracy,” Recean said, affirming that Moldova remains committed to becoming an EU member.”

The Kremlin has not publicly responded to these allegations.

Transnistria is a Russia-controlled breakaway region of Moldova that Moscow occupied in the early 1990s under the pretext of protecting the Russian population.

The region borders Ukraine's Odesa Oblast and is internationally recognized as part of Moldova.

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The Kyiv IndependentAnna Fratsyvir

Editor's Note: This story has been updated with the latest election results and President Volodymyr Zelensky's reaction.

Karol Nawrocki, a right-wing nationalist supported by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, has won Poland's presidential election.

Nawrocki garnered 50.89% of the vote in the run-off election on June 1, narrowly defeating his liberal rival, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, according to Poland's National Election Commission. Trzaskowski earned 49.11% of the votes.

The closely-watched election has been widely seen as an inflection point in Poland's political trajectory, including its approach to Polish-Ukrainian relations. Nawrocki, known for adopting a "Trumpian" style of politics, has been criticized for parroting pro-Russian narratives due to his opposition to Ukraine's NATO membership.

Earlier in the night, Poland's elections were deemed too close to call, with exit polls showing showing Trzaskowski and Nawrocki virtually tied. Early polls showed Trzaskowski with a narrow lead, while more recent polls flipped the results in Nawrocki's favor.

Trzaskowski, whose campaign hinged on supporting Prime Minister Donald Tusk's democratic reforms, was the first to declare victory after an initial exit poll suggested he would secure a narrow win.

An exit poll by Ipsos for the broadcaster Polsat showed Trzaskowski, of the ruling centrist Civic Coalition (KO) party, winning by a slim margin of 50.3%.

"We won," Trzaskowski told party members after the first exit poll results came out. "I will bring people together, I will be constructive, I will be a president for all Poles. I will be your president."

However, a later poll flipped the results, showing Nawrocki narrowly ahead with 50.7%. Speaking to his supporters, Nawrocki also declared victory.

"Congratulations to (Karol Nawrocki) on winning the presidential election," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 2 after full results were announced.

"Poland, which preserves the strength of its national spirit and its faith in justice, has been and remains a pillar of regional and European security, and a strong voice defending freedom and dignity for every nation."

While Poland has a parliamentary system in which the president's authority is largely ceremonial, the Polish president is still able to veto legislation proposed by the parliament.

Moreover, the president plays a key role in foreign affairs and serves as commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Polish presidents have historically been particularly active in shaping eastern policy.

While both candidates agreed on certain issues — such as increasing defense spending and supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia's full-scale invasion — they diverged on Ukraine's potential NATO accession.

Trzaskowski supported Ukraine joining NATO, whereas Nawrocki has signed an eight-point declaration that included a pledge to block Kyiv's membership in the alliance.

Although Trzaskowski has been seen as more "pro-Ukrainian," both presidential candidates have taken positions targeting Ukrainian refugees. Russian disinformation campaigns also targeted the election, particularly amplifying anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Poland.

The candidates also disagreed on several key social issues, highlighting deep divides in Polish politics and society more broadly.

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Calin Georgescu, a Moscow-friendly Romanian politician who ran for president in November 2024, announced on May 26 that he is retiring from politics.

In a video address posted online, Georgescu said he had made a personal choice to become a mere "observer of public and social life" and devote more time and energy to his family.

An ultranationalist and a staunch opponent of NATO, Georgescu came first in the initial round of the presidential election in November 2024 with 22.9% of the vote. Romania's Constitutional Court later annulled the vote due to credible evidence of foreign interference in Georgescu's favor, namely from Russia.

Georgescu was later barred from participating in a rerun in May as he faces multiple criminal charges over suspected promotion of fascist ideologies and Romania's World War II-era leader, Ion Antonescu, who oversaw the Holocaust in the country.

In his address, Georgescu said that after the presidential election, "this stage of the sovereignist movement has ended." He added he would not join any political party or seek to hold a political office.

After Georgescu was banned from running for president, far-right Eurosceptic George Simion became the leading nationalist candidate instead but was defeated in the runoff on May 18 by pro-EU centrist Nicusor Dan.

"The world is weary of conflict, war, haste, violence, and political excess," Georgescu said.

"When public attention is consumed by political infighting that has little to do with society's well-being, those in professions vital to the country's welfare are pushed to the margins."

Georgescu thanked all those who supported him, claiming they had been "harassed, humiliated, and marginalized," and extended his gratitude also to his opponents.

The largely unknown Georgescu surged in popularity shortly before the November vote thanks to what is suspected to be Russian interference and a hybrid campaign on the TikTok platform.

The former candidate has vowed to end Romania's assistance to Ukraine and once suggested that Bucharest could take part in the country's post-war partition, drawing a rebuke from Kyiv.

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