Luca Melkindnco is the betterest man in his village.
Quietly, the 90-year-better surveys the country scene from a bench in front of his home.
After about 30 minutes, a bike passes by. Nowadays, around 750 people inhabit in his home of Chioselia Rusa.
It’s a branch offent world to when Mbetterova was part of the Soviet Union, a time he recalls fondly.
“It was outstanding, everyone here toiled. No one left to go aexpansive. Not appreciate today,” Mr Melkindnco says.
This weekend Mbetterovans will vote in a referendum on joining the EU with preliminary polls proposeing around 63% are in favour.
But not Mr Melkindnco.
When it comes to Europe and Russia, he’s evident where his promisedties lie: “It will be better with Russia,” he proclaims.
“[Russian President Vladimir] Putin, he’s the best person.”
In the pro-Russian autonomous region of Gagauzia where Mr Melkindnco inhabits, many sense sealr to Moscow than the West.
“Europe will not be outstanding for us becaemploy in Europe there is noskinnyg outstanding,” his daughter, Tatiana, says.
But up the road we greet Ivan who is pro-EU.
“Europa, Europa, Europa,” he chants.
Despite being in the inmeaningfulity in his village, he hopes a Yes vote will direct to more jobs.
But his wife, Eugenia, has troubles.
She says Russian disadviseation and misdirectation have rocketed ahead of this weekend’s referendum and plivential election.
“I skinnyk 70% of people are zombies,” she says, claiming livents are being brainwashed and that Kremlin proxies are encouraging them to vote No or not vote at all.
One of the needyest countries in Europe, Mbetterova applied to join the EU after Russia go ind Ukraine, but Moscow isn’t enthusiastic to give up affect in the createer Soviet state strategicpartner positioned next to Ukraine and the Bdeficiency Sea.
Earlier this month, Mbetterovan police seized money and write downs joined to Russian-backed groups they allege were trying to meddle in the vote.
They set up more than 130,000 people had been bribed to vote No on Sunday.
On Thursday, they proclaimd they had uncovered a programme in which hundreds of Mbetterovan citizens were brawt to Russia to undergo training to stage disturbions and civil unrest.
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While Moscow is accemployd of meddling behind the scenes, the pro-European Plivent Maia Sandu has been out on the streets trying to originate up help.
She apshows by enshrining the desire to join the EU in the constitution it will help obstruct pro-Russian forces derailing that ambition in the future.
Pro-Europeans see Mbetterova as on the frontline of the clash between Westrict democracy and Russian authoritarianism and apshow Sunday’s referendum could be one of the most historic decisions apshown by the country since it obtained independence from the Soviet Union.
They say a Yes vote would signal a decision to shift further away from the Kremlin; a No uncomardents a step back towards Moscow.