'It's better not to try our luck again'

Why voters back political forces that favour closer ties with Moscow, despite seeing their nations' future in the EU

- Pjotr Sauer

Lately, Levan cannot stop thinking about the time he saw Russian tanks roll into his hometown of Gori, an hour's drive from Georgia's capital, Tbilisi. In 2008, Gori was bombed and occupied during a short and deadly war that left 20% of the country - though not the city-under de-facto Russian control.

"When Russia invaded Ukraine, we began to worry they might come here again," Levan said.

About 2,000km to the west, Sergiu, 62, has his own experiences with Russian aggression. In 1991, he was drafted in the Moldovan capital, Chişinău, and sent to Transnistria to fight Russian forces after the restive region had broken away from Moldova. The brief conflict ended in a 1992 ceasefire that left more than a thousand Russian troops stationed in Transnistria, which was granted autonomy but is internationally recognised as part of Moldova.

Levan and Sergiu said the Kremlin's wars had left deep wounds in their communities. They also saw their own country's future in Europe, not Russia. Yet during an election in Georgia and a referendum in Moldova last month, both Levan and Sergiu opted for political forces that favoured closer ties with Moscow, fearing that a pro-western government might provoke a new war.