“In recent months, the U.S. government, Moldovan President Sandu, the Moldovan security services, and other allies and partners have warned that Russia is seeking to undermine Moldovan democratic institutions in the lead-up to the presidential election and referendum on Moldova’s EU membership.

Russian efforts to influence Moldova’s Oct. 20 elections have reached unprecedented levels, with Moscow allegedly spending up to hundreds of millions of dollars to buy votes, pump out deepfake videos generated by artificial intelligence and boost the campaigns of Kremlin-favored candidates.

Moldova's citizens vote on Sunday in a presidential election and an EU referendum that come at a pivotal moment in the tussle between Russia and the West for the future of the poor, landlocked southeast European nation of under 3 million people.

Russia is seeking to undermine Moldova's upcoming presidential election and has spent millions of dollars on its efforts to do so, the White House said Tuesday.

The Kremlin is desperate to return Moldova to its sphere of influence, but its meddling is no longer working.