, Columnist
Putin Lost a Round in Moldova. The Fight’s Far From Over.
Election meddling is part of the Kremlin’s zero-sum game.
Moldova's pro-EU President Maia Sandu.
Photographer: DANIEL MIHAILESCU/AFPThis article is for subscribers only.
Still bloodying Ukraine, Russia now stands accused of running a “special operation” to steal parliamentary elections in Georgia and of flooding Moldova with cash to fix a presidential vote that ended on Sunday. If you’re tempted to say, “Russia hoax,” or “so what,” please don’t.
Russia’s industrial-scale vote buying in Moldova was exposed by two investigative journalists who posed as pro-Russia sympathizers. They filmed co-conspirators and their bribery targets as these people discussed what to do and how. Authorities also caught mules carrying cash in bags – one contained $1.1 million - and payment cards, charged up while on trips to Moscow.