EU council sanctions individuals, entities responsible for destabilising Moldova
A statement by the Council said those targeted were close associates of Ilan Shor, a fugitive business magnate sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison in connection with the 2014 disappearance of $1 billion from the Moldovan banking system.
Shor lives in Russia, where he oversees the activities of the pro-Russian "Victory" bloc, accused by Moldovan authorities of illegally financing electoral activities in Moldova, which lies between Ukraine and Romania.
The bloc was barred by the courts from participating in last year's Moldovan presidential election and referendum on Moldova's drive to join the European Union.
Its leaders are barred from entering the EU and are subject to an asset freeze under the directive.
The EU statement said some of the people listed "have been actively involved in vote buying schemes, in the context of the presidential elections and of the constitutional referendum on EU accession of 2024, and bribery to corrupt several politicians".
Victoria Furtuna, leader of the Moldova Mare party and subject to the order, vowed to mount a legal challenge, saying groups in Brussels were "shamelessly and openly ...choosing on their own who is going to run our sovereign state".
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Las Vegas Sands' new development part of S'pore's broader, more ambitious transformation: PM Wong
Singapore Economic headwinds do not dampen outlook for new Marina Bay development: Las Vegas Sands president
Business MAS records net profit of $19.7 billion, fuelled by investment gains
Singapore Man charged with attempted murder of woman at Kallang Wave Mall
Singapore CDL's long-time director Philip Yeo to depart after boardroom feud
Singapore Ex-cleaner jailed over safety lapses linked to guard's death near 1-Altitude rooftop bar
Life The Violinist, Singapore's first animated historical film, set for August 2026 release
Singapore 'Nobody deserves to be alone': Why Mummy and Acha have fostered over 20 children in the past 22 years
Two others on the list are pro-Russian lawmakers who have disappeared after being convicted on corruption charges.
Pro-European President Maia Sandu, who has accused the Kremlin of trying to subvert her country, won re-election last year by a slim margin and a referendum endorsing her EU membership campaign also passed only narrowly.
Moldovan police last year accused Shor of funnelling large sums illegally to voters ahead of the polls and Sandu said the vote-buying scheme had influenced the outcome of the votes.
A poll published on Tuesday credited Sandu's Party of Action and Solidarity with 27.4% of voting intentions ahead of a September parliamentary election, compared to 10.4% for the pro-Russian opposition Socialists and 6.2% for the Victory bloc. REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
37 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Western aid cuts cede ground to China in South-east Asia: Study
Find out what's new on ST website and app. US President Donald Trump has halted about US$60 billion in development assistance – most of the US' overseas aid programme. SYDNEY - China is set to expand its influence over South-east Asia's development as the Trump administration and other Western donors slash aid, a study by an Australian think-tank said on July 20. The region is in an 'uncertain moment', facing cuts in official development finance from the West as well as 'especially punitive' US trade tariffs, the Sydney-based Lowy Institute said. 'Declining Western aid risks ceding a greater role to China, though other Asian donors will also gain in importance,' it said. Total official development finance to South-east Asia – including grants, low-rate loans and other loans – grew 'modestly' to US$29 billion (S$37 billion) in 2023, the annual report said. But US President Donald Trump has since halted about US$60 billion in development assistance – most of the United States' overseas aid programme. Seven European countries – including France and Germany – and the European Union have announced US$17.2 billion in aid cuts to be implemented between 2025 and 2029, it said. And the United Kingdom has said it is reducing annual aid by US$7.6 billion, redirecting government money towards defence. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Priority for singles, higher quota for second-timer families to kick in from HDB's July BTO exercise Singapore 1 in 3 vapes here laced with etomidate; MOH working with MHA to list it as illegal drug: Ong Ye Kung Asia Johor Bahru collision claims lives of e-hailing driver and Singapore passenger Sport Arsenal arrive in Singapore for pre-season matches with AC Milan and Newcastle Business Crypto exchange Tokenize to shut down Singapore operations Singapore 2-in-1 airport police robot on trial can patrol and serve as PMD with ride-hailing feature Singapore ComfortDelGro to discipline driver who flung relative's wheelchair out of taxi Singapore Minor Issues: Why I didn't send my daughters to my brand-name primary school Based on recent announcements, overall official development finance to South-east Asia will fall by more than US$2 billion by 2026, the study projected. 'These cuts will hit South-east Asia hard,' it said. 'Poorer countries and social sector priorities such as health, education, and civil society support that rely on bilateral aid funding are likely to lose out the most.' Higher-income countries already capture most of the region's official development finance, said the institute's South-east Asia Aid Map report. Poorer countries such as East Timor, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are being left behind, creating a deepening divide that could undermine long-term stability, equity and resilience, it warned. Despite substantial economic development across most of South-east Asia, around 86 million people still live on less than US$3.65 a day, it said. 'Global concern' 'The centre of gravity in South-east Asia's development finance landscape looks set to drift East, notably to Beijing but also Tokyo and Seoul,' the study said. As trade ties with the United States have weakened, South-east Asian countries' development options could shrink, it said, leaving them with less leverage to negotiate favourable terms with Beijing. 'China's relative importance as a development actor in the region will rise as Western development support recedes,' it said. Beijing's development finance to the region rose by US$1.6 billion to US$4.9 billion in 2023 – mostly through big infrastructure projects such as rail links in Indonesia and Malaysia, the report said. At the same time, China's infrastructure commitments to South-east Asia surged fourfold to almost US$10 billion, largely due to the revival of the Kyaukphyu Deep Sea Port project in Myanmar. By contrast, Western alternative infrastructure projects had failed to materialise in recent years, the study said. 'Similarly, Western promises to support the region's clean energy transition have yet to translate into more projects on the ground – of global concern given coal-dependent South-east Asia is a major source of rapidly growing carbon emissions.' AFP
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Putin meets top Iranian adviser Larijani, discusses Middle East tensions, nuclear issues
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Russia's position in favour of stabilising the Middle East region. MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting on July 20 with Mr Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Russian state-run RIA news agency reported, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. The two discussed the escalating situation in the Middle East and issues surrounding Iran's nuclear programme. Mr Putin reaffirmed Russia's position in favour of stabilising the region and pursuing a political resolution to matters related to Iran's nuclear activities, Mr Peskov said. REUTERS
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Iran says it has replaced air defences damaged in Israel war
DUBAI - Iran has replaced air defences damaged during last month's conflict with Israel, Iran's Defah Press news agency reported on Sunday quoting Mahmoud Mousavi, the regular army's deputy for operations. During the conflict in June, Israel's air force dominated Iran's airspace and dealt a heavy blow to the country's air defences while Iranian armed forces launched successive barrages of missiles and drones on Israeli territory. "Some of our air defences were damaged, this is not something we can hide, but our colleagues have used domestic resources and replaced them with pre-arranged systems that were stored in suitable locations in order to keep the airspace secure," Mousavi said. Prior to the war, Iran had its own domestically-made long-range air defence system Bavar-373 in addition to the Russian-made S-300 system. The report by Defah Press did not mention any import of foreign-made air defence systems to Iran in past weeks. Following limited Israeli strikes against Iranian missile factories last October, Iran later displayed Russian-made air defences in a military exercise to show it recovered from the attack. REUTERS
