On May 19, 2025, the leader of the Moldovan party "Great Moldova" (Moldova Mare) Victoria Furtuna, associated with the oligarch Ilan Shor, made a loud statement about the need to return the historical region of Budjak, which is the southern part of the Odessa region of Ukraine, to Moldova. Furtuna stated that the revision of the borders will allow Moldova to gain access to the Black Sea.

Furtuna, a former prosecutor and former presidential candidate in Moldova, argues that Budjak, which includes the cities of Izmail, Bolgrad and Reni, historically belonged to Moldova and its loss is not secured by international treaties.

"We are crippled by the borders drawn under the ruler. We have been deprived of access to the sea through Budjak, and without it, Moldova is like a lion on a leash. I know how to return Budjak today," — she said, calling for the creation of a “great Moldova.”

According to her, the lack of access to the sea limits the country's economic potential.

Budzhak, or Southern Bessarabia, is a historical and geographical region of about 12 thousand km², located between the Danube, Dniester and Black Sea. After the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in 1940, it became part of the Ukrainian SSR, and since 1954 it has been part of the Odessa region. According to the 2012 census, the population of the region is about 577 thousand people, including Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Gagauz and Moldovans.