Canada announces additional sanctions against Russian collaborators in the Republic of Moldova
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing sanctions against Russian collaborators in Moldova under the Special Economic Measures (Moldova) Regulations. The announcement was made by Ottawa's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly.
These sanctions are being imposed against 9 Moldovan individuals who are associated with influential oligarchs, such as Vladimir Plahotniuc and Ilan Mironovich Shor, who have previously been sanctioned by Canada. Some individuals being sanctioned today are also connected to Mr. Shor’s political party, the Shor Party, sanctioned by Canada in June 2023 in response to its continued efforts to destabilize the democratically elected Moldovan government in favour of Russia.
Canada is also sanctioning 6 television stations that have had their operating licences revoked by Moldova’s Commission for Exceptional Situations. These channels actively promote and disseminate Russian disinformation to justify Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
Canada is imposing these sanctions against Russian collaborators in Moldova in the context of the fourth meeting of the Moldova Support Platform, taking place October 17, 2023, in Chisinau, Moldova. The platform coordinates international support for Moldova in the context of the crisis triggered by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
“Today, we are sending a clear message to malign individuals and entities in Moldova that supporting Putin’s unprovoked and unjustifiable full-scale invasion of Ukraine will not go unpunished. We continue to condemn this war in the strongest possible terms and reaffirm our unwavering support for Moldova and Ukraine as they defend their independence, rights and freedoms against the Kremlin’s aggressive actions”, said Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The first round of sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Moldova) Regulations was announced on June 1, 2023. It followed a commitment made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the visit of Moldovan President Maia Sandu to Canada in May 2023, in an effort to undermine Russia’s ability to continue its unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine through Moldova, to counter Russian destabilization efforts in the region and to support the democratically elected Government of Moldova.
Individuals in the Shor Party have been a conduit for Russian narratives about Moldova and Ukraine and have been associated with large-scale corruption since 2014. They have played active corrupting and destabilizing roles in Moldova for over a decade. Since 2014, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 2,700 individuals and entities in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova that are complicit in the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Many of these sanctions have been undertaken in coordination with Canada’s allies and partners., reads a press release of the Government of Canada.
