Elections in Georgia and Moldova have shown the European Union just how tough a task it faces in trying to expand to countries that Moscow considers in its sphere of influence.
The EU has been making a renewed push to bring in new members since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, saying the outbreak of war has shown the danger of having "grey zones" just outside the bloc that are not firmly part of the West.
In Georgia, a governing party seen by most EU countries as increasingly Moscow-friendly won a parliamentary election on Saturday that was marred by reports of voting violations.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.