Moldova is stuck on the NATO border between Romania and Ukraine at war. Seen from Moscow, the former Soviet Republic belongs to Russia's natural zone of influence.
It is also the scene of the continent's oldest frozen conflict since the secession of Transnistria in 1992. Around 1,500 Russian soldiers are stationed in the border region and pose a military risk, in particular because of large ammunition depots. French President Emmanuel Macron recalled the European position, which calls for the withdrawal of “forces illegally stationed on Moldovan territory ”