Moldova's elections were not free and the results showed a "hard-to-explain" increase of votes in favour of President Maia Sandu and the European Union as the count proceeded, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.

Authorities in Moscow claimed Monday that the narrow margin in Moldova’s constitutional referendum on EU membership “raises questions,” while also rejecting Moldovan President Maia Sandu’s accusations of Russian interference in Sunday’s presidential election.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu denounced an "an assault on democracy and freedom," as she said criminal groups had bought Moldovan citizens' votes prior to the EU referendum on Sunday.View on euronews

Moldovans have voted by the thinnest of margins in favor of joining the European Union, near-complete results showed Monday, as President Maia Sandu condemned an “unprecedented assault” by foreign actors on the country’s democracy.

Moldova’s President Maia Sandu decried an “unprecedented assault” on the democratic process by “foreign forces” on Sunday as a referendum on EU membership remained too close to call even with just a few thousand ballots left to count.