Moldova is a small country in Eastern Europe. It has a population of under 3 milliuon. It is bordered by Ukraine. Within Moldova is the unrecognized breakaway state of Transnistria. The population within the breakaway state is pro-Russian

In 2020 pro-European candidate Maia Sandu became the first female president of Moldova. In the summer of 2021, pro-European candidate Natalia Gavritta won a landslide victory to become Prime Minister.

The government collapsed this morning, with the resignation of Gavritta. President Sandu thanked Gavritta by stating,

“Despite unprecedented challenges, the country was governed responsibly, with great care and dedicated work. We have stability, peace and development — where others wanted war and bankruptcy.”

Gavritta, for her part, stated that it was time for her to resign and that no one expected that the country,

“…would have to manage so many crises caused by Russian aggression in Ukraine.”

This morning, Russia fired two missiles, from the Black Sea, over Moldova, before striking in Ukraine.

Moldova is neither a NATO country or a EU country. Moldova was part of the USSR before the collapse. Putin wants to restore Russia back to a USSR empire. Putin’s reason for invading Ukraine was due to the ethnic Russian population in Eastern Ukraine. Putin has desired taking over Moldova for a while. He can use the same justification as he did for invading Ukraine, given the pro-Russian breakaway state in Moldova. Should he do this, he would come face to face with NATO bordering country Romania, also formerly within the USSR..

Russia has already indicated that if they take control of Ukraine’s Black Sea coast region, they will have direct access to Moldova’s breakaway state. Moldova could very well become the next hot spot.