“We strongly reject any accusation that we are somehow involved in this. We don’t do that,” said the press secretary of the Kremlin Dmitriy Piaskov.
Two weeks ago, Sandu won the first round of voting with 42.4%, well ahead of Alexander Stoyanagl with 26%, but fell short of the 50% she needed to win outright. His votes, most likely, will increase due to the votes of candidates who did not make it to the second round.
After the vote, Sandu warned Moldovans that “thieves” want to buy their votes and their country, and urged them to preserve the country’s independence.
Stojanoglu, who promises to be an “apolitical president” for everyone, told reporters that he voted for “Moldova, which should develop in harmony with both the West and the East.”
But commentators and politicians warn that Stoyanaglu’s victory could radically change the political landscape in the Danube and Black Sea regions, not because he is some kind of “Trojan horse”, but rather because Russia has thrown its weight behind him.
By 16:00 (14:00 GMT), 43% of Moldovans had voted, long queues were in Moscow and Belarus, as well as at polling stations in Romania, France and Italy.
