Paul Goble
Staunton, Mar. 26 – Moldova’s decision to leave the Commonwealth of Independent States “symbolizes not simply its institutional break with the post-Soviet space but also a broader reorientation of the country which ever more frequently is acting like the model of an ‘anti-Russia’ offered by Ukraine,” Ilya Kiselyov says.
The pro-Moscow Chisinau journalist says the Moldovan government has justified its exit by suggesting that the original values and principles of the CIS are being violated “above all by the Russian Federation” (ritmeurasia.ru/news--2026-03-26--vyhod-moldovy-iz-sng-etap-ee-prevraschenija-v-anti-rossiju-86689).
“But behind this formula is hidden a profound transformation of the foreign policy course of Moldova itself” and its adoption of a position in which any ideas “different from Western ones are considered as undesirable or even dangerous,” Kiselyov continues in his attack on this decision.
Kiselyov’s article mirrors this: He lists a variety of reasons why breaking with the CIS without any certainty of admission to the EU is likely to cause trouble and argues that Chisinau should rethink what it is doing or at least proceed more cautiously lest it find itself in difficulties.
But behind that at least superficially reasonable approach is his conclusion that if Moldova leaves the CIS, it will become “an anti-Russia” like Ukraine already is – are deceived by the ostensibly reasonableness of Kiselyov’s arguments on one level but also because some will fail to see that behind that is his insistence Moldova remain a member of the CIS – or else.
That approach not only will drive Moldova out of the CIS even faster, but it is likely to have the same effect on the other remaining non-Russian countries that emerged following the collapse of the USSR, one more instance of Russian truculence and authoritarianism leading to exactly the opposite outcomes the Kremlin clearly hopes for.
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