Moldovan president approves withdrawing from Russian-led bloc

Prefer on Google by Oleg Sukhov Moldovan President Maia Sandu is pictured in Chișinău, Moldova, on April 2, 2025. (Kira Hofmann / Photothek for the German Federal Foreign Office via Getty Images) Moldovan President Maia Sandu has signed into law bills on withdrawing from the Russian-led Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Moldovan media outlet Newsmaker reported late on April 8. The law came into effect the same day, according to Newsmaker. The move is part of Moldova 's efforts to drift away from Russia's orbit and join the European Union . Moldova was granted EU candidate status in 2022 and officially began accession negotiations in 2024. The Commonwealth of Independent States, set up in 1991, comprises Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Turkmenistan is an associate member. Georgia withdraw from the CIS amid the Russian invasion of the country in 2008. Ukraine never ratified the CIS treaty but was a de facto member until Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine's Crimea and Donbas in 2014. Kyiv gradually withdraw from the bloc from 2014 to 2018.