At the family plum orchard in the rolling hills northwest of Moldova’s capital of Chisinau, it’s easy to see why Zinaida Plamadeala is keen to ensure her country remains on its path toward European integration.

Moldova's pro-Western president, Maia Sandu, is seeking a second term in a presidential election on Oct. 20, when the country will also hold a referendum on joining the European Union.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has reaffirmed Germany's commitment to supporting Moldova on its journey toward European Union membership, as the country prepares for a presidential election and EU referendum this Sunday.

The Kremlin is desperate to return Moldova to its sphere of influence, but its meddling is no longer working.

Moldova's citizens vote on Sunday in a presidential election and an EU referendum that come at a pivotal moment in the tussle between Russia and the West for the future of the poor, landlocked southeast European nation of under 3 million people.

Russian efforts to influence Moldova’s Oct. 20 elections have reached unprecedented levels, with Moscow allegedly spending up to hundreds of millions of dollars to buy votes, pump out deepfake

Sunday’s referendum will ask Moldovan voters whether they support declaring the country’s EU accession as a strategic goal in its constitution. In an interview with Voice of America’s Russian Service,

Moldovan citizens will vote on whether to formally add EU membership aspirations to their country's constitution. A win for pro-Europeans and Maya Sandu’s re-election could increase tensions with pro-Russian separatists.