Comment by Nicole Bodishteanu for RT on Moldova's ambigous future

Nicole Bodishteanu, Analyst at the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies (CCEIS) at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, emphasized that Moldova’s planned withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States is primarily a political move with potentially significant economic and geopolitical consequences.

• At this stage, Moldova’s withdrawal from the CIS is primarily a political move, rather than an economically pragmatic one.

• Leaving the CIS entails the loss of established markets and logistical corridors, including routes to China and countries in Central and Southeast Asia.

• The consequences affect not only agricultural exports, but also small businesses reliant on affordable consumer goods.

• The ruling party is making a deliberate choice, fully aware of the economic costs involved.

• The decision reflects an effort to reshape Moldova’s political identity in alignment with the West.

• In 2026, European integration should be assessed through the lens of the EU’s geopolitical interests, not Chisinau’s formal “readiness.”

• Within this framework, EU accession appears realistic and attainable, despite short-term economic disruptions.