Russia has been accused of offering cash for votes in Moldova to skew a referendum on joining the EU.

The vote on Sunday to change Moldova’s constitution to join the EU was only passed by a paper-thin majority of 50.03 per cent, despite predictions of a comfortable victory.

Maia Sandu, the Moldovan president, blamed “foreign forces” for nearly ruining her lifetime ambition of taking former Soviet Moldova into the EU.

“Criminal groups, working together with foreign forces hostile to our national interests, have attacked our country with tens of millions of euros, lies and propaganda,” she said at a press conference in Chisinau, the capital.

Although Ms Sandu didn’t reference Russia directly, the European Parliament, the Moldova security services and the US all warned that the Kremlin was meddling in the referendum and a presidential election, held at the same time. The EU on Monday said there was evidence of “unprecedented interference”.

Moscow has denied this. The Kremlin on Monday alleged there were “anomalies” in Moldova’s count in the election for president and a referendum on joining the EU and said the country’s president must “prove” election interference claims.