"Moldovan society said loud and clear that its future is in the EU, in a place of stability and peace," he said.
Popșoi described Russia’s war against neighboring Ukraine as the biggest challenge facing Moldova, bringing both security pressure and economic strain over the past four years.
At the same time, he said, the war in Ukraine has strengthened Moldova's resilience.
Moldova’s pro-European authorities, he said, are working to strengthen state institutions and reduce Russian influence despite repeated crises.
He said Moscow’s messaging had taken several forms. It promoted claims that the EU did not want Moldova and offered the lure of cheap gas.
Moscow's most dangerous threat, he argued, was the suggestion that EU membership could provoke Russian aggression.
He said that argument exposed a contradiction at the heart of Moscow’s position: Russia presents Moldova as a sovereign state, he said, but then threatens punishment if it makes a sovereign decision that Russia does not like.
Popșoi also pointed to another contradiction in Russia’s stance on Moldova’s constitutional neutrality. He said Moscow had long presented itself as a defender of that neutral status while at the same time violating it through support for separatists in the breakaway region of Transnistria and through its military presence there.
Despite those pressures, Popșoi said Moldova’s progress toward the EU was stronger than “all Russian narratives and the siren songs of propaganda.”
Moldova was granted EU candidate status in 2022 and formally opened accession talks in 2024.
The government says it wants to be ready to conclude negotiations by 2028, while acknowledging that the final timetable will depend partly on the political climate inside the EU and its member states.
For now, Popșoi said, the main tasks are domestic. These include reforming the justice system and tackling corruption.
He said Moldova remains optimistic because of what he called strong support from Brussels and EU member states as reforms move forward.
He singled out Poland as a key partner, describing it as a mentor on Moldova’s road toward membership and “one of the best examples of successful transition.”
He said Warsaw has been especially helpful with technical support in aligning Moldovan law with EU standards. He added that investment and business ties between the two countries were also growing.
Looking ahead, Popșoi said upcoming local votes will be another test of Moldova’s resilience.
He said the Kremlin is unlikely to abandon attempts to regain influence, even after defeats suffered by pro-Russian forces in earlier election cycles.
Moldova’s location between Romania and Ukraine gives it strategic importance, and experts often note that stronger Russian leverage there could increase pressure on both Kyiv and the EU.
Popșoi said Moldova is trying to build resilience at every level, from state institutions to ordinary citizens.
He credited previous pro-European election victories in part to a broad public response against what he described as illegal Russian interference, involving independent media, nongovernmental organizations and voters themselves.
On the breakaway region of Transnistria, Popșoi said the government’s priority remains peaceful reintegration, using the potential economic benefits of EU membership as an incentive while insisting on legal and economic reintegration into the Moldovan state.