On September 28, Moldova, a country of about 2.6 million people tucked between Ukraine and Romania, will hold parliamentary elections. For most Americans, Moldova is a little-known place. But the outcome of these elections matters: the vote will test whether Russia can continue to shape politics in Europe through subversion, money, and cyber operations, and whether Europe can deliver on the promise of a better life that feels distant to many Moldovans.

Moldova emerged from the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 as one of Europe’s poorest states. Reform has been halting, corruption persistent, and hundreds of thousands have left in search of work abroad. A Russian-orchestrated conflict in Transnistria, a breakaway region where 1500 Russian troops remain stationed, has kept the country in a geopolitical gray zone. Over the past years, however, Moldovan politics have been dominated by pro-European leaders led by President Maia Sandu, who has sought to align the country with the European Union, opening talks on accession with the bloc and distancing it from Moscow.