Efforts to explain why relations between Russia and the EU collapsed over the past decade have taken a closer look at previously neglected historical factors. But one development that perhaps represented the first step toward the current crisis between Moscow and Europe is overlooked: the Moldova-Transnistria war over 30 years ago.
In the final weeks of 2023, three Scandinavian countries signed defense agreements with Washington, further strengthening U.S. military ties with a region of the world that has long favored nonalignment. The deals are proof of just how deeply Russia’s war against Ukraine has transformed the strategic landscape across Europe.
Tensions have been rising along Russia’s borders with several countries belonging to the EU and NATO. Most recently, Finland, one of NATO’s newest members, blasted the Kremlin, accusing Russia of launching a form of “hybrid warfare” by sending a surge of migrants to the Finnish border in an effort to destabilize the country.
