EU Leaders Set To Praise Moldova, Condemn Georgia

European Union leaders are set to praise accession candidate Moldova’s “successful” presidential election and vow to continuing working with country, while they plan to express “serious concerns” about recent developments in Georgia amid a violent government crackdown on dissent.

The leaders also plan to reaffirm their support for Kyiv and underline the “principle that no initiative regarding Ukraine be taken without Ukraine,” according to a draft document seen by RFE/RL ahead of a December 19 summit.

The document is an early draft and changes are still possible before the Brussels gathering occurs.

“The European Council commends the authorities of the Republic of Moldova for the successful conduct of the presidential elections and of the referendum on enshrining EU accession in the constitution,” the document stated, while blasting the “hybrid attempts to undermine the country’s democratic institutions.”

Moldova’s pro-Western president, Maia Sandu, on November 3 defeated Russian-friendly opponent Alexandr Stoianoglo in a runoff vote marred by accusations of Russian interference and voter fraud.

At the same time, voters also passed by a narrow margin a referendum reaffirming the country’s goals of closer EU integration.

Conversely, the EU leaders raise concerns about the Georgian Dream-led government’s violent crackdown on protesters and its decision to suspend the country’s EU accession process until 2018.

“The European Council strongly condemns the violence against peaceful protesters. The Georgian authorities must respect the right to freedom of assembly and of expression, and refrain from using force. All acts of violence must be investigated and those responsible held accountable,” the document reads.

“The European Council underlines the union’s readiness to support the Georgian people’s European aspirations,” it added.

Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023 but relations with Brussels have soured in recent months, beginning with the adoption of a controversial “foreign agent” law, which critics say threatens to publicly discredit thousands of media outlets and civil society groups as “serving” outside powers.

On Ukraine, the draft document stated that “the European Council reiterates its resolute condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression” against the country.

It also reconfirmed the EU’s “unwavering commitment to providing continued political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military, and diplomatic support to Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes and as intensely as needed. Russia must not prevail.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has urged both the EU and NATO to speed up the process for Kyiv to join the organizations, saying it would help ensure the country’s sovereignty in the face of Russia’s full-scale invasion./Rferl/