Moldova imposed sanctions, Russia promises to "return the rest"

The Foreign Ministry of Russia has said that "it will not leave unanswered" Moldova's decision to impose sanctions against it, as part of the European Union's package of sanctions against Moscow, foreign media report .

Moldovan authorities recently joined the largest package of European sanctions against Russia, due to Moscow's occupation of Ukraine. The sanctions target hundreds of people, including from Moldova, or people who worked in the Kremlin-backed breakaway region of Transdniester. Russia has over 1,000 troops in Transdniester.

The spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said that the decision is not in line with the "interests of the residents" of the Republic of Moldova and that the "vast majority" of Moldovans have a friendly approach to Russia.

But public polls in Moldova show the opposite: over 38% of Moldovan citizens believe that Russia launched an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, and only 17% believe the Kremlin's narrative that this is "a liberation operation".

Due to the Russian occupation of Ukraine, Chisinau's relations with Moscow have quickly deteriorated. Moldovan President Maia Sandu accuses Moscow of plotting a coup against the pro-European government in Chisinau and trying to destabilize her country. (A2 Televizion)