Moldova will not help Russia bypass Western sanctions

Maya Sandu. File photoCHISINAU, April 4Moldova will not allow Russia to try to circumvent Western sanctions through the Moldovan banking system or by re-exporting Russian goods, President Maia Sandu said at a press conference. Moldovan banking system, we will also not allow the re-export of Russian goods through Moldova. We are closely monitoring this,» Sandu said. According to her, Moldova and the Russian Federation have three main areas of economic relations. Cooperation in the financial sector has actually been suspended, since banks in Moldova, the vast majority of which have foreign capital and management abroad, comply with all the restrictions imposed by international financial organizations against Russia. Exports to Russia have already decreased because there is a physical obstacle due to the Russian military operation in Ukraine. «Another aspect of economic relations with Russia is the purchase of gas, we have only one supplier, we cannot refuse to purchase gas from the Russian Federation and we not the only country in this position,» added Sandu.On February 21, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, which declared their independence from Kyiv back in 2014, and on February 24, Russia launched a military operation. Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years.» In an address to fellow citizens, Putin said that circumstances “require decisive and immediate action,” as the Donbass republics have asked for help. According to the Russian leader, the entire responsibility for the bloodshed will be on the conscience of the ruling regime in Ukraine. In response, Western countries have imposed another anti-Russian sanctions since 2014. Many EU countries announced the decision to close the airspace for Russian aircraft. The Russian Federation responded by restricting the use of its airspace to flights of aircraft associated with or registered with the UK, including transit flights, from 25 February. As the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said earlier, the Western sanctions are very serious, Russia was preparing for them in advance. He added that they require analysis and coordination of departments in order to develop response measures that meet the interests of the Russian Federation. Moldova officially did not support anti-Russian sanctions.