Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky extended his congratulations to Moldova's Maia Sandu on her successful presidential election and reiterated Kyiv's dedication to collaborating towards a shared objective of European Union membership.
Sandu, the pro-Western incumbent who has been instrumental in Moldova's shift away from Moscow's influence, secured her victory in the tightly contested runoff on Sunday, overcoming Alexandr Stoianoglo, who was supported by the traditionally pro-Russian Socialist Party.
Zelensky conveyed on the social media platform X, "On behalf of the Ukrainian people, I expressed our solidarity with the European choice of the Moldovan people," following a phone conversation with Sandu. Zelensky also mentioned that he had discussed the "next steps" on the EU accession journey with Sandu.
The Central Electoral Commission reported that Sandu, a former World Bank advisor, garnered 55.3 percent of the vote. Her victory was significantly bolstered by Moldova's substantial expatriate community, who provided over 80 percent support from citizens living abroad, whereas Stoianoglo achieved 51.33 percent within Moldova's borders.
Moldovan authorities have implicated Russia and Moscow-aligned fugitive businessman Ilan Shor in meddling with both rounds of the presidential election and a referendum held last month advocating for closer EU ties, which Sandu's pro-EU faction narrowly won. Both Russia and Shor have denied any involvement.
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