The Republic of Moldova started to gradually align itself with the sanctions imposed by the European Union on the Russian Federation for the aggression against Ukraine and in several weeks will penalize a number of Russian citizens. The penalties include mainly travel bans, freeze of bank accounts or assets of these persons who are involved in the aggression against Ukraine one way or another, Deputy Prime Minister Nicu Popescu, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, stated in an interview with RFE/RL’s Moldovan Service that is quoted by IPN.
According to the official, the decision was adopted, but will start to be implemented after all the required legal steps are taken. He didn’t give names of persons who are to be banned from entering the Republic of Moldova, but said that the list will include about 25 persons and almost half of these are Russian citizens.
Nicu Popescu noted that the sanctions need to be imposed against the background of the antigovernment protests mounted in Chisinau by the Shor Party and other parties about which the authorities believe that they act on the instruction of the Kremlin to destabilize the Republic of Moldova.
The EU has approved ten packages of sanctions against Russia after the Russian forces invade Ukraine on February 24, 2022, from sanctions against individuals and entities to broad financial and economic sanctions, targeting vital sectors of the Russian economy, like the energy one.
Ministry Popescu told RFE/RL’s Moldovan Service that the EU two weeks ago requested the Republic of Moldova to join a package of individual sanctions imposed against persons for human rights violations.
As Moldova is an associated country and was grated the EU candidate statutes in June 2022, it needs to align itself with the European sanctions. “The timetable of the aligning with the sanctions does not depend on us only. In fact, the EU at particular moments of the year invites countries to align themselves with the new sanctions regimes (...) and the Republic of Moldova aligned itself with this regime,” explained Nicu Popescu. He noted that later the state will join other sanctions regimes.
When the Russian invasion of Ukraine was launched, the Moldovan authorities said the Western partners, including the EU, understand the Republic of Moldova’s position not to immediately align itself with the sanctions so as to avoid a harsh response from Russia on whose gas supplies the country depended.
