Moldova pursues EU accession and addresses military personnel shortages

EU accession Moldovan presidency military personnel crisis Bi-2 citizenship gas negotiations

Moldovan President Maia Sandu has reaffirmed that the nation’s primary objective is European Union integration, expressing hope to sign an accession treaty by 2028. Sandu noted that Moldova is prepared to open all remaining negotiating clusters, even as diplomatic discussions suggest a potential decoupling of Moldova’s accession path from Ukraine’s.

Domestically, Prime Minister Vasile Tofan highlighted a critical shortage of military personnel, noting that while the country receives equipment from international partners, there is a lack of sufficient soldiers and drivers to operate it. Tofan emphasized the need to improve military salaries and conditions to attract recruits. Additionally, Moldova is exploring negotiations to import natural gas from Ukraine following the lifting of export restrictions by Kyiv.

In other developments, President Sandu signed a decree granting Moldovan citizenship to six engineers from the Russian rock band Bi-2, a group known for its opposition to the war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, political tensions persist as opposition figures criticize the continued presence of Russian consumer goods, such as mayonnaise, on local market shelves despite the government's pro-European stance.

Entities

Bi-2 · Egor Bortnik · European Union · Maia Sandu · Republic of Moldova · Russia · Russian Federation · Vasile Tofan

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 2 SOURCES] Lead singer Egor Bortnik has been designated as a 'foreign agent' by Russian authorities following the band's criticism of the war in Ukraine.
[● 2 SOURCES] The recipients of citizenship are Sergey Bolshakov, Anastasia Kirikova, Dmitry Kudryavtsev, Egor Kudryavtsev, Sergey Skvortsov, and Vladimir Zverev.
[DISPUTED] President Maia Sandu signed a decree granting Moldovan citizenship to six engineers from the rock band Bi-2. telegraph.md
[DISPUTED] This is not the first time band members or their families have received Moldovan citizenship; previous decrees were signed in May 2024 and December 2025. telegraph.md
[● 2 SOURCES] Five of the engineers were born in the Russian Federation, while one was born in the Kyrgyz Republic.
[● 3 SOURCES] The band Bi-2 expressed gratitude to Moldova, stating the country has chosen freedom, a value they share. telegraph.md