In Eastern Europe, Russia's Influence Creeps West

Russia is gaining ground in Eastern Europe as the West grows distracted by the problems arising inside its own borders. Perhaps nowhere is this clearer than in Transdniestria, the breakaway territory of Moldova where a recent presidential election led to a substantial political shake-up. In the region's Dec. 11 vote, incumbent President Yevgeny Shevchuk lost to parliamentary speaker and Moscow proponent Vadim Krasnoselski, who won 62 percent of the popular vote. Combined with the November election of a pro-Russia presidential candidate in Moldova, Krasnoselski's victory could spur movement in the ongoing stalemate between the Moldovan and Transdniestrian governments — and in Russia's long-standing effort to increase its influence over its neighbors.