Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has promised that there will be retaliation against Moldova for joining four EU sanctions packages against Moscow.

In the time-honoured manner of Russian propaganda, Zakharova accused Moldova of "hostile steps" and an "anti-Russia campaign" aimed at the "complete destruction of Russian-Moldovan relations".

Zakharova is convinced that the "overwhelming majority" of Moldovans are "friendly towards Russia and interested in preserving and developing multifaceted bilateral cooperation".

"Moldova’s decision will not go unanswered. The measures to be taken will be announced later," he said.

Nicu Popescu, Moldova’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, stated last week that Moldova has joined four EU sanctions packages against Russia over the last year and a half.

When Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Moldova stated that it would not immediately join in certain restrictive measures, such as sanctions against Russia.

In March 2023, Popescu announced that Moldova would reevaluate some of its previous decisions on sanctions and would present new ones. He promised that the extent of Moldova’s involvement in EU sanctions would increase significantly.

Moldova and Ukraine are candidates for EU membership. The EU expects its future members to align their foreign policy vector and adhere to the EU’s sanctions policy.