The leaders of France, Germany and Poland on Wednesday issued an open invitation to Moldova to join the EU while urging the country to turn its back on Kremlin propaganda and embrace “European values.”

“The door to the European Union is open, and you are wholeheartedly welcome in the European Union,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said during a press conference from the entrance to Moldova’s National Assembly.

His comments echoed remarks from French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who both said that Moldova’s future lay within the 27-nation bloc rather than in Moscow’s sphere of influence.

“While just a few hundred kilometers from your capital, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is ongoing, it’s crucial to underscore that Moldova’s choice to join the European Union is one in favor of peace and the rule of law,” said Macron.

The French president went on to denounce “Kremlin propaganda,” which he said aims to paint Europeans as warmongers trying to prolong the war in Ukraine.

“Those are lies,” said Macron. “Unlike Russia, the European Union threatens no one and respects the sovereignty of all … The European Union is in no way the Soviet Union.”

The rare visit and endorsement by three of Europe’s most powerful leaders is designed to offer an electoral boost for Moldova’s pro-EU President Maia Sandu ahead of a critical parliamentary election on Sept. 28.

Sandu, who was narrowly reelected president last year and has staked her future on Moldova’s EU membership bid, warned in her speech about continued efforts by Russia to sway the election in Moscow’s favor and deceive voters about the EU’s true intentions in Ukraine and elsewhere.

A country of 2.4 million people sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, Moldova is a key target for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has opted for hybrid tactics — from disinformation campaigns to vote-buying — to try to gain control of the country while waging a kinetic war against Ukraine.

But the EU is determined not to let Putin prevail in Moldova, wary of granting the Russian leader another win after cementing his control of Belarus, taking over Georgia and waging war against Ukraine.

One of the EU’s main arguments to convince Moldovan voters to keep backing pro-EU candidates is the promise of membership in the EU after Brussels gave both Moldova and Ukraine the political green light to start the process of joining in 2023.

“We will do everything we can in the fall to open the first negotiation chapters,” said Merz.

Nette Nöstlinger and Gabriel Gavin contributed to this report.