“We consider it as a new hostile step aimed at destroying Russian-Moldovan relations. There is no doubt that we will not leave these actions without a response,” the diplomat told the Sputnik news agency this Wednesday.

Moldova decided to join four of the six sanctions packages against Russia, which “in one way or another target citizens or legal entities of Russia.”

Relations between Russia and Moldova began to deteriorate after Moldovan President Maia Sandu, who follows a pro-European policy, came to power at the end of the year 2020.

Initially, Sandu declared that Moldova would not join the Western sanctions against Russia, but on March 17th, in a special speech to the deputies of Parliament, she stressed that the country’s authorities had exclusively chosen the European path of development.

Sandu also announced plans to join the European Union by 2030 and assured that the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) does not help the country’s development.

According to public opinion polls, the majority of Moldovans are in favor of maintaining economic, political and cultural ties with Russia.

Moscow called on Chisinau to listen to the interests of its own citizens and not to hinder the development of human contacts and interregional ties with Russia.

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