The Twenty-Seven adopted on Tuesday sanctions against seven people in Moldova, Moldovans or Russians accused by the EU of being linked to "Russia's efforts to destabilize" this small republic neighboring Ukraine, very fragile economically.
This decision comes two days before the meeting, Thursday in Moldova, of the leaders of nearly 50 countries for the second summit of the European Political Community (EPC), which brings together about twenty states in addition to the 27 members of the EU.
'An important political signal'
A small country of 3 million inhabitants, "Moldova is one of the countries most affected by the fallout from Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine: there are serious, increased and continuous attempts to destabilise the country," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement. The seven targeted individuals will have their assets frozen in the EU, where they will be banned from staying. This decision "sends an important political signal on the EU's support to Moldova in a difficult context (...) We will continue to punish those who destabilise our immediate neighbourhood," Borrell added.
Those sanctioned are "politicians and businessmen of Moldovan or Russian nationality who have engaged in destabilising activities," the European Council (the body representing member states) said in the statement. Some are linked to bank fraud that resulted in "huge losses" for Moldovan public finances, others are connected to "Kremlin-orchestrated efforts" to "destabilize" the former Soviet Republic, for example by planning "violent protests and financial malfeasance, or by supporting the Russian security services (FSB).
Efforts to destabilise Moldova have significantly intensified "since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and pose a direct threat to the stability and security of the EU's external borders," the Council notes. In June 2022, the EU granted Ukraine and Moldova official candidate status, with both countries now calling for speeding up procedures to move closer to joining the bloc.
