Landsbergis congratulates Sandu on re-election, thwarting Russia’s assault

VILNIUS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has congratulated Moldovan President Maja Sandu on her re-election and "on successfully thwarting Russia’s assault against Moldova’s democracy".

Moscow's attempts to interfere in the Moldovan elections must be investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice, he also said.

"We congratulate Maia Sandu on successfully thwarting Russia’s assault against Moldova’s democracy," Landsbergis posted on X on Monday. "With parliamentary elections around the corner, EU should do its best to help investigate all of Russia's malign interference & bring its perpetrators to justice."

Sandu received 54.7 percent of the vote against 45.3 percent for Alexandr Stoianoglo, Moldova's former chief prosecutor, backed by the pro-Russian Socialists, according to 99 percent of the calculated results published by the election commission.

The vote in the small country, sandwiched between war-torn Ukraine and the European Union, was held amid fears of Russian interference and just two weeks after a referendum narrowly voted in favour of the country's EU accession.