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US sanctions pro-Russian Moldovan governor
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on Evghenia Gutul, the governor of Moldova's Gagauzia region, for her ties to pro-Russian oligarch and politician Ilan Shor, the U.S. Treasury announced on June 12.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on Evghenia Gutul, the governor of Moldova's Gagauzia region, for her ties to pro-Russian oligarch and politician Ilan Shor, the U.S. Treasury announced on June 12.
The changes, which were approved by the parliament the previous week, apply some wartime treason laws to peacetime, extend punishments, and create a new category of laws for assisting a foreign state.
Igor Gorgan, who lost his post after pro-Western President Maia Sandu took office in 2021, continues to use his contacts in the Defense Ministry and pass sensitive information on military aid for Ukraine, the investigation said, citing accessed Telegram correspondence.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Moldova on May 29 to meet with President Maia Sandu and announce support worth $50 million to help Chisinau transition away from Russian energy dependence and further integrate with the EU, amid warnings of heightened hybrid threats from Russia.
The European Council agreed to open accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova last December. Chisinau has moved closer to Europe over recent months amid repeated warnings that the Kremlin is attempting to carry out a destabilization campaign inside the country's borders.
Moldova and the EU intend to sign a security agreement in the next week, increasing cooperation in the spheres of defense, cyber threats, and foreign interference to "unprecedented levels," the Financial Times reported on May 14.
Members of Moldova's pro-Russian opposition parties met in Moscow on April 21 to establish a new anti-European political bloc aimed at derailing Moldova's planned accession to the European Union, Bloomberg reported.
The bilateral defense pact lays the groundwork for future military training, intelligence sharing, and increased defense consultation between the two countries.
When there was no mention of Transnistria — Moldova's Russia-led breakaway region — in Vladimir Putin's speech on Feb. 29, Moldovans sighed with relief. A day prior, the leaders of the unrecognized breakaway entity, sandwiched between Ukraine and Moldova, had asked Russia for "protection" — a plea that some saw as an invitation