This project focuses on Moldova, a small former Soviet Republic on the doorstep of Europe, which has increasingly become the target of Russian meddling and disinformation since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022. Moscow has interfered in elections, engineered energy and economic crises by slashing gas exports, plotted a coup, and stoked political unrest by funneling money to Kremlin-friendly Moldovan politicians who pay voters and protesters with the aim of bringing about the removal of Moldova’s Western-leaning government. The aim, according to a leaked Kremlin document, is to assert control over Moldovan politics and society, undermining the country’s efforts to join the European Union and NATO, and to bring it back within Moscow’s sphere of influence. Moscow’s tactics have served to exacerbate already deep divisions in Moldova, where part of the country is Romanian speaking and other pockets still favor Russian as the lingua franca. In such areas, Russian-language websites, social media, and Russian-backed parties provide convenient platforms for the spread of disinformation. Frequently used tropes include blaming the Moldovan government’s pro-Europe stances for everything from the economic crisis to the alleged marginalization of Russian speakers to the spread of liberal Western values such as protections for LGBTQ rights.
Will Baxter is an American photographer based in Tbilisi, Georgia. As a photojournalist he has worked extensively in Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Kenya among others. Since 2023, Will has been focusing on a project in Moldova that explores the impacts of Russian hybrid aggression and the lingering repercussions of the collapse of the Soviet Union.