Over the past year and a half, Moldova has joined four of the EU’s six sanctions packages against Russia. 

As reported by Newsmaker, Nicu Popescu, Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, noted that over the past eighteen months, Moldova has joined sanctions against several countries, including Russia.

"There are still some sanctions packages that are being analysed for their economic impact on Moldova. Obviously, our goal is to maintain the stability and security of our country. Absolutely all decisions on Moldova joining new sanctions are analysed [...].

There are six sanctions packages affecting citizens or legal entities from the Russian Federation. At this stage, Moldova has joined four of them."  

At the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moldova stated that it would not immediately join certain restrictive measures, including sanctions against Russia.

The head of the EU delegation to Moldova stated in July 2022 that Brussels did not require Chișinău to impose anti-Russian sanctions but would be "happy to see" developments in this direction.

However, in March 2023, Popescu announced that Chișinău would reassess some of its previous decisions on sanctions and present new ones. He promised a significant increase in the country's compliance with EU sanctions.

Moldova, along with Ukraine, is a candidate for EU membership. The EU expects its future members to coordinate their foreign policy, including complying with the EU’s sanctions policy.