Moldova Parliament Backs Final Break With Moscow-Led CIS in First Reading
Moldova’s parliament voted in first reading to break with the Moscow-led CIS after a heated debate.
Kyiv Post
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Almost 32 years after ratifying the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Charter, Moldova moved closer on Friday to a final break with the Moscow-led CIS after parliament voted in first reading to denounce the bloc’s founding agreements. The measure passed with 59 votes in favor, 17 against, and 12 lawmakers not voting.
Fierce debate in parliament
On Friday, the parliamentary debate quickly turned into a broader argument over sovereignty, trade, migration, and Moldova’s strategic future, Moldova1 reported.
“Leaving the CIS is not an act of revenge, it is an act of liberation - the breaking of the last thread that keeps us anchored in a toxic, bitter past. It is a clear declaration: the Republic of Moldova is a sovereign, independent, and European state, not a piece on someone else’s chessboard,” Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi said.
Opposition lawmakers pushed back hard. Communist deputies held placards reading, “The people are against it” and “CIS – real opportunities. Denunciation – real losses.”
“A large number of our citizens work in CIS countries. The CIS is not just Russia. Were there consultations with society and with our diaspora in CIS countries on this issue?” asked Diana Caraman, a lawmaker from the Party of Communists.
In response, Popșoi insisted that “there will be no negative impact on bilateral relations with friendly states as a result of this step.”
European powers and Japan signal readiness to help secure the Strait of Hormuz after resisting US calls, as rising tensions and oil risks force a shift in allied positions.
Independent lawmaker Vasile Tarlev also criticized the withdrawal, warning it could damage Moldova’s interests over time.
“Today, leaving the CIS has no national or strategic interest and is a delayed-effect bomb.” Tarlev said.
Socialist deputy Vlad Batrîncea accused the government of prioritizing symbolism over the country’s real economic problems.
Lawmaker Vasile Costiuc said his party, Democracy at Home, would support the denunciation, calling the move long overdue.
“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,” Costiuc said.
Parliamentarian Marcel Spatari said the CIS no longer offers Moldova any real benefit.
“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,” Spatari said.
Closing a post-Soviet chapter
Moldova, one of the 15 former Soviet republics, is located between Ukraine and EU member Romania. It has not taken part in any CIS activities since 2023. On March 11, the Moldovan government officially approved draft laws to denounce the CIS founding charter and sent the documents to parliament.
Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu cast the move as the overdue end of a geopolitical atavism.
“We are now legally and ethically prepared to close this chapter,” he said, arguing that Russia’s repeated violations of international norms left the government with both the right and the responsibility to sever the remaining ties.
The CIS was created in December 1991 as the Soviet Union collapsed. It was founded first by Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine, then quickly expanded to include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Georgia joined later, in 1993, bringing the bloc to its peak of 12 members.
So far, Moldova has denounced around 70 CIS agreements as part of its broader push to align its laws and policies with EU standards.
A bloc slowly coming apart
The CIS is still formally alive, but it increasingly resembles a post-Soviet “divorce club” rather than a serious center of power. As the organization marks its 35th anniversary in 2026, its reach is narrowing: Georgia is gone, Ukraine stopped participating, Moldova has frozen its role and is now pushing toward a legal exit, while Armenia and Azerbaijan have both shown signs of keeping the bloc at arm’s length. What remains is a thinner core of states still willing to keep the institution going, even as more members look westward or hedge their bets.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the CIS has increasingly been seen as one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s tools for signaling that Russia is neither isolated nor abandoned. The annual informal CIS gatherings at the Kremlin – usually timed around New Year - serve less as substantive summits than as carefully staged photo opportunities aimed at audiences both at home and abroad. Their message is that the Kremlin still has partners, Moscow’s regional influence endures, and the idea of a post-Soviet sphere remains alive.
Sevinj Osmanqizi is a journalist covering US foreign policy, security, and geopolitics, with a focus on the broader post-Soviet space. She reports on Washington’s decision-making and its implications for Ukraine and regional stability.
