Sandu explained why Moldova imposed sanctions against Russia

If Chisinau had not imposed sanctions against Moscow, the Moldovan economy would have been subject to restrictions , Sandu said. RUSSIA considers the restrictions illegal and demands their abolition Maia Sandu

Moldova has imposed sanctions on Russia in order not to finance the production of weapons and stop the conflict in Ukraine , otherwise the banking system and other sectors of the republic's economy would be subject to restrictions, President Maia Sandu said during pre-election debates with the candidate from the Party of Socialists, Alexandru Stoianoglo.

Stoianoglo asked his opponent whether the decision to join the sanctions against Russia was mandatory while maintaining diplomatic relations. He noted that as a result of the restrictions imposed, the republic began to receive gas at higher prices.

"Sanctions are introduced to stop the war, not to finance the production of tanks and bombs that kill people. Otherwise, our banking system and other sectors of the economy would be subject to sanctions. We do not want citizens to be unable to make transfers, so that economic agents suffer," Sandu responded ( quoted by Jurnal).

She added that Moldova had also “freed itself from gas dependence,” and citizens had received compensation for increased costs.

After the start of the military operation in Ukraine, Sandu repeatedly stated that Moldova would not join the West's sanctions against Russia, but a number of restrictions were later introduced. In particular, the republic's largest bank, Moldova Agroindbank, suspended transfers in dollars and euros through the Contact, Unistream, and Zolotaya Korona systems. In 2023, Chisinau joined the sanctions against Russian individuals and legal entities that the EU imposed in 2014 after the annexation of Crimea to Russia. Among them are former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, and the deceased founder of the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Moscow considers Western sanctions illegal and demands that they be lifted. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called Moldova's joining the EU sanctions "a very hostile step" and promised to take retaliatory measures.