Head of State at Ministerial Session of Committee of Ministers of Council of Europe: Enlargement of European Union and defense of European democracy - one and the same act of resistance

President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu opened today the Ministerial Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, held in Chișinău, where she delivered a speech on the shared responsibility of member states to defend democracy, peace and security in the context of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the intensification of the cognitive war across the continent.

In her speech, Maia Sandu condemned the brutal and relentless attacks against Ukraine and highlighted the danger that Russia poses to the whole of Europe. “Russia is the aggressor. Russia is the most pressing and severe threat to the security of our continent today and likely for the decades to come,” the head of state said. In this context, the President stressed that pressure on Russia must be maintained and strengthened, and Ukraine must continue to be supported militarily and financially, as well as through international accountability mechanisms for the crimes committed during the war.

Referring to the imperative of holding Russia accountable, Maia Sandu welcomed the imminent adoption in Chișinău of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Management Committee of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. At the same time, the head of state reiterated the importance of strengthening the international accountability architecture and emphasized that the Republic of Moldova was among the founding states of the Special Tribunal, created within the Council of Europe during Moldova’s Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the organization.

The head of state stressed that the war against Ukraine is accompanied by a cognitive war. “It is a war waged within our societies against the way people think, what they consider trustworthy, and how they vote,” the President explained. In this regard, the head of state warned that information manipulation, illicit financing, and external interference represent direct threats to the European way of life and underlined the need for more effective approaches to protect democracies, adapted to new realities. “Democracies cannot defend themselves with the methods of past decades,” the President noted. Thus, the head of state advocated for the adoption of an international legal instrument that would allow more effective cooperation between states in combating hybrid threats.

In her speech, Maia Sandu also spoke about the importance of European Union enlargement for the security and stability of the continent. “The enlargement of the European Union and the defense of European democratic life are, ultimately, one and the same act of resistance,” the head of state said. The President emphasized that our country is continuing its European path by meeting the criteria and implementing the necessary reforms, while also establishing itself as a security provider in the region.

The Republic of Moldova held the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe from November 2024 to May 2025, during which it promoted key initiatives related to countering foreign interference, holding Russia accountable for the crimes committed against Ukraine, and promoting social rights, reflecting our country’s commitment to a united and strong Europe.