Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi said on June 22, 2026 [1], that the country's EU accession and the Transnistria settlement are parallel processes.
This dual-track strategy is intended to ensure that all Moldovans benefit from membership in the European Union while preventing Russian President Vladimir Putin from using the frozen conflict in Transnistria as a tool for political leverage.
Popșoi said that these tracks are designed to prevent Putin from gaining leverage [1]. The minister's comments come as Moldova seeks to integrate further with the West despite the ongoing presence of Russian-backed forces in the breakaway region of Transnistria.
The timing of the statement follows recent diplomatic movements within the bloc. On June 3, 2026 [3], Hungarian and Ukrainian diplomats reached an agreement regarding Hungarian minority rights. This breakthrough allowed both Ukraine and Moldova to begin de-facto accession talks with the European Union later this month [3].
Earlier this year, the EU expressed a desire to accelerate the process. On May 8, 2026 [2], Kaja Kallas said that the EU wants to move fast on the matter, although a specific date for the opening of formal accession talks had not yet been set [2].
By treating the resolution of the Transnistria conflict and the EU membership process as separate but simultaneous efforts, the Moldovan government aims to avoid a scenario where the EU demands a full settlement of the conflict as a prerequisite for membership, a condition that could potentially give Moscow more influence over the outcome [1].
“The country's EU accession process and the Transnistria conflict are "parallel" tracks to prevent Vladimir Putin from gaining "leverage".”
Moldova's insistence on 'parallel tracks' is a strategic attempt to decouple its European future from the volatile security situation in Transnistria. By pursuing EU membership regardless of the conflict's resolution, Chisinau seeks to strengthen its institutional ties to the West, thereby reducing the effectiveness of Russian hybrid warfare and diplomatic blackmail.
