Despite Moldovan President Maia Sandu's endorsement of unification with Romania, a combination of limited public support, economic and security challenges makes unification highly unlikely in the coming years, with EU accession remaining Moldova's primary strategic path. On Jan. 12, Sandu said that she would vote in favor of Moldova joining Romania in a hypothetical referendum, emphasizing that such a step would strengthen Moldova's democratic resilience and protect the country's sovereignty from Russian hybrid pressure . However, Sandu clarified that there was no active plan to pursue unification at present, as public support remains insufficient to justify a referendum, and the government is focused on Moldova's ongoing EU accession process. Moldova formally applied for EU membership in 2022. Chisinau supports accession as key to the country's economic development, security guarantees and institutional modernization.