Oazu Nantoi

After Russia announced on Tuesday evening that it had banned three pro-European Moldovan MPs and the Interior Minister, the targeted politicians said they had no plans to go there anyway.

The authorities in Moscow banned Interior Minister Ana Revenco and three deputies of the Action and Solidarity Party, PAS, Oazu Nantoi, Olesea Stamate and Lilian Carp.

Deputies of the ruling party in Moldova have condemned what they term Russia's plans to regain control of the country after investigative media published a series of what appeared to be official Russian documents on how Moscow plans to maintain its influence in Chisinau and derail its relationship with the West.

The Council of the European Union on Monday extended until October 2021 the restrictive measures it has imposed on representatives of the separatist regime in Transnistria, banning then from entering EU countries - but observers noted that the list of individuals sanctioned is outdated and includes people who are no longer part of the administration in Tiraspol.

Moldova's parliament on Thursday voted down the government proposed by Prime Minister Iurie Leanca, more than two months after general elections gave a narrow victory to pro-European Union parties.