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.