Moldova Severs Cultural Ties with Russia Amid Escalating Tensions

On Wednesday, Moldova approved legislation to annul a 1998 agreement with Russia concerning cultural centers, reflecting the continued deterioration of relations following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

In February, the Moldovan Foreign Ministry announced its intention to begin closing the Russian Center of Science and Culture in Chișinău, which was established in 2009, following an incident involving drone incursions.

According to a statement from Moldova’s cabinet, this center was financed by Rossotrudnichestvo, a Russian state agency focused on cultural diplomacy that is currently subject to EU sanctions.

The cabinet highlighted that Moldova lacks its own cultural center in Russia.

Moldovan Culture Minister Cristian Jardan stated, «The Russian Cultural Center had no genuine cultural purpose; it functioned to undermine Moldova’s sovereignty.»

Moldova has consistently accused Russia of efforts to destabilize the nation, which has a population of 2.6 million and is led by pro-EU President Maia Sandu.

In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, both Kyiv and Chișinău submitted applications to join the European Union.

The proposed legislation to terminate the agreement will be presented to Moldova’s parliament.

The Kremlin criticized this decision, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov alleging that Moldova is “rejecting everything associated with our country to the detriment of a significant, if not larger, portion of its population.”

“We can only express our regret,” Peskov remarked during a daily news briefing.