Electoral Processes in the ATU Gagauzia in the Context of Its Political Branding and Potential Influence on Ensuring Russia's National Security

The article presents the results of the study, showing a direct correlation between the external branding of the region, electoral preferences and political ranking of the residents of Gagauzia. The authors establish that the regional specifics of Gagauzia influence the foreign policy of Moldova and can lead to disagreements between the central government and the powers of the autonomy. Special emphasis is placed on the ethnolinguistic features of the Gagauz and the significance of this factor of internal instability in the context of the impact on ensuring national security of the Russian Federation.