Putin’s Second Defeat: Moldova Breaks His Last European Foothold

Moldova has become the center of a dramatic shift in Europe’s political landscape. What once looked like one of Putin’s final points of leverage is now turning into another defeat for the Kremlin. In this video, we break down why Moldova’s move matters, how it challenges Moscow’s remaining influence, and why this could be remembered as one of Putin’s most damaging setbacks in Europe. A fast, compelling look at power, pressure, and the collapse of a once-reliable stronghold. Here are all the sources rewritten in English: Euronews — EU sets stage for decoupling Moldova's accession bid from Ukraine's (June 22, 2026): https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/20... Al Jazeera — EU agrees launch of accession process for Ukraine and Moldova (June 12, 2026): https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6... European Commission — EU-Moldova Summit in Brussels marks a new milestone on path to EU membership (June 22, 2026): https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/news... 2EU Brussels — Maia Sandu says Moldova must quickly use its window of opportunity for European integration (June 21, 2026): https://2eu.brussels/en/news/maia-san... The New Union Post — EU–Moldova Summit overshadowed by uncertainty over accession (June 22, 2026): https://newunionpost.eu/2026/06/22/eu... RBC Ukraine — Russia fears for its troops in Transnistria (April 16, 2026): https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/russi... Reuters — Moldova, separatist Transdniestria make no progress on settlement (April 15, 2026): https://www.reuters.com/world/moldova... Euromaidan Press — Moldova's plan for Russian-controlled Transnistria: squeeze it economically, replace the separatist administration (March 18, 2026): https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/03/1... Carnegie Endowment for International Peace — Moldova Floats a New Approach to Its Transnistria Problem (March 30, 2026): https://carnegieendowment.org/russia-... Romania Insider — Survey says 7 in 10 Romanians would support union with Moldova (May 6, 2026): https://www.romania-insider.com/surve... Romania Insider — More Moldovans support than oppose their country's unification with Romania (March 26, 2026): https://www.romania-insider.com/moldo... Romania Insider — Romania salutes EU's request for withdrawal of Russian troops from Transnistria (February 23, 2026): https://www.romania-insider.com/eu-ro... New Eastern Europe — "On our own European path": Why most Moldovans fear unification with Romania even though the debate is back (May 7, 2026): https://neweasterneurope.eu/2026/05/0... Cotidianul — CURS poll: 56% of Romanians would vote for reunification with the Republic of Moldova (January 25, 2026): https://cotidianul.md/en/23995/