Moldova serves as a microcosm writ small for the problems plaguing other countries. Here, the issues are playing out faster and more intensely, built on a tide of state corruption and foreign influence.

While Russia works to strengthen religious links with Serbia, the United States is seen by some Serbs as almost missing-in-action since the US-led NATO bombing of Serbia which helped to end the Balkan conflict some 25 years ago.

Nine years after fighting between Georgians and Ossetian separatists led to a Russian intervention and a five-day war, Russia is still building fences —sometimes chain-link, sometimes barbed wire — across the administrative boundary line.

A flourishing economy and the benefits of EU and NATO membership are not enough to ease Latvians’ concerns about Russian influence.

Communist rule ended in Poland in 1989, but the threat of Russian encroachment is still felt strongly in Poland. Grievances against Russia remain fresh.

In a country where corruption permeates all levels of government and politicians believe anti-European Union sentiment can help at the ballot box, people debate just how influential the Russian government really is.