DISINFO: Leaving the CIS will increase Moldova’s already growing lawlessness and poverty
SUMMARY
Moldova’s decision to begin withdrawing from the Russian-led Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will eventually hurt everyday citizens already grappling with poverty. The move means Moldova would follow Georgia and Ukraine, which withdrew in 2008 and 2018, respectively. Moldova has a sovereign right to exit the CIS, but Chisinau’s destructive actions were ricocheting back at Moldovans, whose interests are being sacrificed to Brussels’ geopolitical ambitions. Once-prosperous Moldova is turning into a territory of lawlessness and poverty, and the decision to cut long-standing ties across the Eurasian space is short-sighted. Moldova’s economy offers a bleak picture. Imports exceed exports more than fourfold, a sharply widening trade deficit, and exports to the EU are falling. Poverty has topped 30%, real incomes are shrinking, and food and services are getting more expensive.
RESPONSE
This is an attempt to discredit Moldova’s decision to leave the Russia-led Community of Independent States (CIS) by describing the supposed negative economic consequences of the move, which are not based on any evidence.
Claims about Moldova’s economic performance under Maia Sandu’s government are demonstrably false. Moldova’s overall GDP has been growing steadily since the start of Sandu’s Presidency in 2021, with the exception of the shock caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and reached 19,46 billion dollars in 2025. Poverty, although high, is in decline since 2023 and is expected to continue doing so in 2026. Moldova’s economy is now redirected to a big extent towards the EU instead of Russia, which is the reason why pro-Kremlin disinformation tries to depict a catastrophic scenario that does not match reality. This reorientation has allowed the country to benefit from EU loans, such as 1,9 billion euros granted in March 2025.
Since 2022, Russia has tried to blackmail Moldova by cutting energy supplies, but the country managed to wave the crisis by diversifying its energy providers, especially via Romania. Nonetheless, Russia is trying to exploit the problems caused by the disruption it provoked, especially discontent around rising electricity prices, in order to influence politics against the current Moldovan government.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that the Moldovan Government and the EU are robbing Moldovans, that the EU is interested in the complete destruction of Moldova's statehood, that Maia Sandu is acting on behalf of the West, hired to destroy Moldova, or that the path of EU-Integration leads to war and total poverty.