Moldova is preparing proposals regarding the possible transfer of 20 locomotives to Ukraine; the parties are also working on opening a new joint border crossing and ensuring the unimpeded transit of Ukrainian cargo, said Mykola Kalashnyk, Ukraine’s Minister of Recovery, Infrastructure, and Transport.
“Our priority is unimpeded traffic from Odesa to the Danube region,” Kalashnik wrote following a working meeting in the Odesa region with Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, Vladimir Bolea.
According to him, to ensure transit, it is necessary to guarantee free and safe passage along a 7-kilometer section of the M-15 highway near Palanka. The parties are also preparing to open a new joint border crossing point.
In the field of rail transport, Moldova is preparing proposals regarding the possibility of providing Ukraine with 20 locomotives. The parties are also working to ensure competitive freight rates and additional routes for Ukrainian cargo through Moldova to the Romanian port of Constanța.
Kalashnik noted that the agreements are expected to result in an increase in the number of routes, faster border crossings, and strengthened logistics links between Ukraine, Moldova, and the European Union.
Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan acknowledges the possibility of rolling blackouts in the country and describes the situation in the energy sector as difficult.
“Perhaps our calls for conservation will be heeded only after the first rolling blackouts. And perhaps it will be difficult for us to bring about such changes until we make the appropriate decision. Some believe it would be wiser not to buy expensive electricity on the exchange but to implement rolling blackouts—that is, a controlled blackout. Then, perhaps, when each of us has to spend half an hour in the evening without electricity, people will better understand the situation, and as a society we will become more economical in our energy consumption,” the prime minister said at a press conference on Thursday.
According to him, the situation in the energy sector remains difficult, and Moldova may lose the ability to purchase even emergency electricity (during peak hours), which it has been buying from Ukraine in recent days.
“Unfortunately, as of August 6, the power supply situation looks very bad—much worse than it is today. And tomorrow, most likely, or very probably, we will not be able to purchase emergency electricity, which costs 2–3 times as much. At least, that is the response we received from Ukrenergo,” Tofan emphasized.
He expressed surprise that on the evening of August 4, despite the government’s calls to conserve electricity, electricity consumption was higher than on the same day the previous week. He suggested that this might be due to objective factors, such as high temperatures.
“Nevertheless, Moldova must change its consumption habits by avoiding the use of energy-intensive household appliances during peak hours, from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. I do not rule out that power outages could make us more disciplined in this regard,” Tofan said.
Temporary energy-saving measures during peak hours have been in effect in Moldova since August 4. According to the commission’s decision, government agencies, retail establishments, economic entities, and other categories of consumers are required to take energy-saving measures from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
On July 28, the Moldovan government declared a 30-day state of heightened readiness in the energy and hydrology sectors. This decision was made in light of risks associated with low water levels in the Dniester River.
Nova Post announced the opening of a new 3,800-square-meter logistics hub near Chisinau (Moldova) with a throughput capacity of up to 10,000 packages per hour, having invested EUR800,000 in the facility.
According to the company’s press release on Tuesday, the new terminal operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and handles all processes—from sorting shipments to customs clearance.
Among other things, Cargo Branch No. 25 operates on the hub’s premises, handling shipments weighing over 30 kg.
It is noted that the terminal handles all types of shipments—from documents and parcels to oversized cargo.
Currently, an average of 35,000 parcels pass through the terminal daily, and the most recent record was 80,000 shipments in a single day.
“Shipment volumes in Moldova are steadily growing, and consolidating all processes in one location has enabled us to meet this demand much more efficiently,” said Serhii Shapran, CEO of Nova Post in Moldova, as quoted in the press release.
According to him, thanks to the opening of the new terminal, the company has reduced the average delivery time by two hours. Consequently, shipments to intercity destinations are dispatched twice a day, and to local branches every 2.5 hours.
The company added that the first fulfillment hub has been opened at the terminal, and a Ukrainian brand became one of its first clients.
Nova Post emphasized that the company plans to further develop its logistics infrastructure in Moldova, specifically by launching a new sorting center in Bălți.
Ukrainians in the Republic of Moldova will be able to obtain Ukrainian citizenship through a simplified procedure: The Cabinet of Ministers has included this country on the list of states whose citizens are eligible for this mechanism, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced.
“I discussed this decision with Moldovan Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu. This is a natural step for our countries. We are united by a shared border, a shared path toward the European Union, and mutual support in the face of Russian aggression. There is a large Ukrainian community living in Moldova, and we want people to have easier access to Ukrainian citizenship,” she wrote on Telegram.
The prime minister noted that the next step will be to make this procedure as convenient as possible.
“Currently, to obtain citizenship, one must pass exams on the Ukrainian language, the Constitution, and the history of Ukraine, but this can only be done in Ukraine. We are working on the possibility of taking these exams remotely. We also need to streamline the final stage of processing documents through diplomatic missions abroad so that people can obtain a Ukrainian passport without unnecessary obstacles,” Svyrydenko emphasized.
In addition, the parties separately discussed the development of joint transportation infrastructure, in particular the construction of a new bridge between Ukraine and Moldova.
The bill on the unification of Romania and Moldova automatically passed the Chamber of Deputies of the Romanian Parliament after the deadline for consideration expired without debate or a final vote; however, the initiative received negative opinions from the government and relevant committees and must now be considered by the Senate.
The bill was introduced by deputies from the far-right S.O.S. România party. According to procedure, if the lower house does not consider an initiative within the established timeframe, it is deemed to have been tacitly adopted and is forwarded to the next chamber of parliament. In this case, the final decision must be made by the Romanian Senate.
The mere fact that the bill passed the Chamber of Deputies does not mean that the unification of Romania and Moldova has received political support from the majority. On the contrary, the initiative has already been met with negative assessments from the Romanian government, the Chamber of Deputies’ Legal Committee, and its Human Rights Committee.
The bill is primarily of a political and symbolic nature. The topic of the unification of Romania and Moldova regularly comes up in public discourse; however, Chisinau’s official position today is focused not on immediate unification but on Moldova’s accession to the European Union. Moldovan President Maia Sandu has previously stated that she would personally support unification in a referendum, but she also acknowledged that the majority of Moldovan citizens do not currently support such a scenario, and that European integration remains a more realistic goal.
For Romania, the issue of unification is also a sensitive one. On the one hand, Bucharest remains Chisinau’s main European partner, providing Moldova with political, economic, and infrastructure support, and a significant portion of Moldova’s citizens already hold Romanian citizenship. On the other hand, formal unification would raise issues regarding borders, security, the budget, the status of Transnistria, and relations with the EU, NATO, and Russia.
In theory, the potential of such a union for the region would be significant. It could accelerate Moldova’s institutional integration into the European space, expand the common labor market, strengthen transportation and energy links between the Black Sea, the Danube, and Eastern Europe, and bolster security on the eastern flank of the EU and NATO.
Economically, the union could provide Moldova with faster access to the infrastructure, financial instruments, and administrative system of an EU member state. For Romania, this would mean expanding its domestic market, deepening its influence in the region, and strengthening Bucharest’s role as a key partner of Chisinau.
However, the practical implementation of such a scenario remains extremely challenging. The main constraints are the lack of a stable majority in Moldova in favor of integration, the risks of internal polarization, the unresolved issue of Transnistria, Russia’s potential reaction, and the need to coordinate such a process with European and Euro-Atlantic partners.
Therefore, at this stage, the bill should be viewed more as a political signal and an element of intra-parliamentary struggle in Romania rather than as the beginning of an actual unification process. A more likely scenario for the region remains the gradual rapprochement between Romania and Moldova through infrastructure projects, energy integration, trade, citizenship, education, and support for Moldova’s European integration.
Moldova may consider unification with Romania as an alternative scenario if negotiations on the country’s accession to the European Union after 2028 are blocked or significantly delayed, reports Euractiv, citing Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development and Digitalisation, Eugen Osmochescu.
According to Osmochescu, Chisinau’s main objective remains unchanged – to sign an EU accession treaty by the end of 2028. He emphasised that unification with Romania is not the current official scenario, but could be considered a ‘plan B’ if Moldova’s European integration faces insurmountable political obstacles.
This statement reflects growing concern in Chisinau over a possible delay in the EU enlargement process. Moldova was granted EU candidate status in 2022 alongside Ukraine, and the negotiation process depends not only on the implementation of reforms but also on the political decisions of EU member states.
A potential union with Romania remains a sensitive issue in Moldovan politics. Supporters of such a scenario point to the common language, history and culture, as well as the fact that a significant proportion of Moldova’s citizens hold Romanian citizenship. Opponents believe that the issue could exacerbate internal political divisions, complicate relations with part of the population and intensify the Transnistria problem.
For Romania, any discussion of such a scenario also carries complex political and legal implications. Romania is a member of the EU and NATO, so any proposals for border changes, state unification or the incorporation of new territory would require not only decisions by Bucharest and Chisinau, but also consideration of the positions of the European Union, NATO and international partners.
The Transnistrian factor is of particular significance. The left-bank region of the Dniester has not been under the de facto control of Moldova’s central authorities since the early 1990s; a Russian military contingent is present on its territory, and a political settlement of the conflict remains frozen. Any scenario involving Moldova’s accelerated integration into the EU or unification with Romania will inevitably be linked to the question of Transnistria’s status.
That said, Osmochescu’s statement should for now be viewed more as a political signal to Brussels regarding the need to maintain a clear prospect of membership for Moldova, rather than as the start of an official process of unification with Romania. Chisinau is thus signalling that delays in EU enlargement could prompt a search for alternative paths to European integration.
Moldova covers an area of approximately 33,800 square kilometres and has a population of around 2.4–3.0 million people, depending on the methodology used to count and account for citizens living abroad. Romania is a country in South-Eastern Europe, a member of the EU and NATO, with an area of around 238,400 square kilometres and a population of around 18.8–19.1 million people.
Transnistria is an unrecognised entity on the left bank of the Dniester, which declared independence from Moldova in the early 1990s and is not de facto controlled by Chisinau. No UN member state recognises Transnistria’s independence. It is recognised only by other unrecognised or partially recognised entities – Abkhazia and South Ossetia; it was previously also recognised by Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh, which ceased to exist following the events of 2023. The international community regards Transnistria as part of the sovereign territory of Moldova.
