By Ekaterina Janashia | 2026-03-23

Moldova's government formally approved the denunciation of the founding treaties of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), launching the final steps to end the country's three-decade membership in the Moscow-led organization as it pushes toward full European Union accession.

Parliament passed the measure in a first reading March 20, with 59 votes in favor, 17 against and 12 lawmakers not voting. A second reading is required before President Maia Sandu signs the decree.

"This decision was taken in the context of the Russian Federation's failure to comply with the fundamental values and principles of the Commonwealth, under which states recognize and respect each other's territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders," the government said in a statement on March 11.

The executive's approval targets three pillars of the organization: the 1991 Agreement establishing the CIS, the accompanying Almaty Protocol, and the 1993 CIS Charter. Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi called the move the "final step" in a long-stalled divorce from the Kremlin's sphere of influence. He said the full withdrawal process could be finalized in the second half of 2026.

A strategic break

Moldova was a founding CIS member, joining in the wake of the Soviet Union's collapse in December 1991. Relations deteriorated sharply following the 2020 election of President Sandu and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sergiu Mihov cited Moscow's conduct as the core justification.

"The regular violation of these core principles -- the aggression against Georgia, the illegal war against Ukraine, and the occupation of their territories -- has destroyed the CIS's role as a security guarantor," Mihov said.

Selective exit, limited disruption

While the founding charters are being scrapped, Moldova is not immediately withdrawing from all 283 agreements signed under the CIS umbrella. Of those, 71 have already been denounced and approximately 60 more are under review. Chisinau plans to maintain agreements providing "concrete benefits" to citizens, including trade and social security provisions, as long as they do not conflict with EU regulations.

Officials emphasized that free movement of citizens, a key concern for the hundreds of thousands of Moldovans working in Russia, will not be immediately affected.

The withdrawal also delivers a modest financial benefit: Moldova expects to save approximately 3.1 million lei ($180,000) annually in membership fees and operational costs.

The parliamentary debate drew sharp exchanges over Moldova's economic future.

"For Moldova, the European Union accounts for 67% of our exports, while the CIS accounts for only 6%. Opportunities are not in Minsk or Moscow, but in Brussels," lawmaker Marcel Spatari said.

"Today we will vote for it because this is a stage we passed long ago – we have just been carrying the corpse on our backs," said Vasile Costiuc of the Democracy at Home party, who voted in favor.

Independent lawmaker Vasile Tarlev voted against, calling the withdrawal "a delayed-effect bomb" for Moldova's national interests.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova characterized the move as "short-sighted," accusing the Sandu administration of prioritizing EU cooperation at the expense of Eurasian ties.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the decision was "not a surprise," noting that Moldova's participation had been "effectively frozen" for years.

Russian officials have hinted at unspecified "economic consequences," language Moscow has previously used to pressure Chisinau through energy dependencies and bans on Moldovan agricultural exports.

The road to Brussels

The formal CIS exit is a prerequisite for Moldova's EU membership bid. Since receiving candidate status in 2022, the government has worked to align its legislation with European standards.

A late-2024 referendum resulted in a majority of Moldovans voting to enshrine EU integration in the constitution.

Sandu, re-elected for a second term in late 2025, has framed the withdrawal as a "return to the European family." The government's victory in the September 2025 parliamentary elections provided a clear mandate to finalize the process.

Pro-Russian opposition parties, including the Socialist Party, have condemned the withdrawal, warning of higher energy prices and losses for agricultural exporters reliant on Eastern markets.

Despite their protests, polls show a consistent majority of Moldovans support the European path, particularly after the country successfully diversified its energy supply away from Russia's Gazprom over the past two years.

Moldova is not the first post-Soviet state to walk away from the CIS. Georgia withdrew in 2009 following its five-day war with Russia, and Ukraine ceased participation in the organization's statutory bodies in 2018.

The final parliamentary vote is expected by late March, after which Sandu will sign the decree formally notifying the CIS Executive Committee in Minsk.

"The government has made the decision, so the ball is in Parliament's court and I really hope that we have it at the next meeting," Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu said March 12.