SUNDAY NOVEMBER 13, BULGARIA AND MOLDOVIA elected new presidents overtly friendly toward Russia. Rumen Radev, the new Bulgarian president decisively defeated the pro-Western candidate. Radev not only called for the EU to cease sanctions against Russia, he also announced his willingness to accept the Crimean referendum that made Crimea part of the Russian Federation. Nonetheless, he has also committed to maintaining Bulgaria’s commitments with the West
The new Moldovan presidential Igor Dodon, is also pro Moscow. He defeated World Bank employee Maia Sandu who campaigned under an EU banner. Russia and the EU have hotly contested Moldova, which seems to prefer the former. Unlike Bulgaria, Moldova is not an EU member, nor is it a member of NATO. Dodon has indicated interest in joining the Russian sponsored Eurasia Economic Community and “eliminating the possibility of cooperation with NATO“, but he has also “promised to balance between Russian and the West, a feat that neighboring Ukraine has found impossible.”
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