Moldova has voted in favor of joining the European Union by a razor thin margin, in a referendum that came down to just a few thousand votes.
A knife-edge majority of 50.17 per cent voted "yes" in Moldova's pivotal referendum on joining the European Union.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the election was not free and the results showed a "hard-to-explain" increase of votes in favour of President Maia Sandu and the European Union.
At midnight, with more than 90 percent of votes counted and "Yes" lagging by almost 10 points, pro-Western President Maia Sandu held an press conference in which she blamed the early tally on "foreign forces" using cash and propaganda to influence the result.
Moldova's incumbent President and presidential candidate Maia Sandu stands in front of members of a local electoral commission at a polling station
Reuters
Moldova's incumbent President and presidential candidate Maia Sandu
Reuters
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the election was not free (file pic)
Reuters