EU support and a series of domestic initiatives will give Moldova more tools to maintain its pro-Western course, but will not fully curtail pro-Russian political forces, which will continue to foment unrest leading up to next year's presidential election. On June 1, Moldova hosted the second summit of the European Political Community (EPC), which EU and non-member European countries launched last year as a forum to discuss issues affecting the Continent in the wake of Russia's Ukraine invasion. Nearly 50 European heads of state and government -- including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky -- attended the meeting, which was held just 20 kilometers (roughly 12 miles) from the Ukrainian border in what leaders said was a message to Moscow. The summit marked a return to the global spotlight for Moldova, which has battled months of social, economic and political volatility related to Russia's ongoing conflict in neighboring Ukraine. Over the past...
