Why did Russia and the Ottoman Empire compete for control of Moldavia?

The competition between Russia and the Ottoman Empire for control of Moldavia was primarily driven by Russia’s strategic desire to expand its southern frontier and establish access to the Black Sea and the Danube River delta.12

For centuries, Moldavia served as a buffer state and a vassal of the Ottoman Empire, which dominated its markets and influenced the selection of its princes. However, as the Ottoman Empire began to decline, Russia sought to extend its influence into the Balkans and secure warm-water ports. This geopolitical rivalry resulted in a series of Russo-Turkish wars throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.31

Key factors in this conflict included:
* Territorial Expansion: Russia aimed to push its borders southward to the Black Sea and the Prut River to consolidate its regional power.1
* Strategic Influence: Russia sought to gain control over the Dardanelles and Bosporus straits and assert its role as a protector of the Ottoman sultan’s Christian subjects in the Balkans.1
* Successive Annexations: Through various treaties, such as the Treaty of Bucharest, Russia gradually eroded Ottoman control, eventually annexing territories like Bessarabia.312