Rep. of the Republic of Moldova Marina Tauber, a close relative of the fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor, was on the US sanctions list on Friday for her attempts to undermine election processes in the interests of the Kremlin. The decision caused an angry reaction from the US deputy ambassador in Chisinau, News.ro reports.

The United States imposed sweeping sanctions against Russia on Friday, targeting more than 500 individuals and entities, to mark two years since Moscow invaded Ukraine and in response to the death of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny.

The US ambassador to Chisinau, Kent Logsdon, explained that Marina Tauber was sanctioned for aiding Ilan Shor’s attempts to undermine the election processes in Moldova in the interests of the Kremlin by illegally buying votes. The American diplomat added that Moldovans “deserve a future free from the malicious influence of the Kremlin” and promised that the United States will continue to support the people and government of the Republic of Moldova in building a more democratic future, the NewsMaker news portal reports. md.

US sanctions against Marina Tauber include a ban on entry into the US, an asset freeze and a ban on transactions in the US and with US citizens. In addition, he is prohibited from selling goods, providing services and transferring money to persons included in the sanctions lists.

President Maia Sandu and Prime Minister Doreen Rechan welcomed the US decision to impose sanctions on Marina Tauber. “Together we are strong in the face of threats to our democratic values.” “The support of our partners goes hand in hand with our continuous efforts to fight fraud and protect our democracy,” two officials from Chisinau sent these messages.

Crazy reaction of Marina Tauber

Marina Tauber qualified the decision of the Washington authorities as “interference” in the country’s internal affairs. In a response on her Facebook page, she was outraged that she was included on the US sanctions list. In particular, Marina Tauber was concerned about the comment of the US ambassador to Chisinau, Kent Logsdon, who said that Moldovans “deserve a future free from the Kremlin’s malign influence.”

“Mr. Logsdon, but who are you? The gentleman came up, put his feet on the table and spat right in our faces. Maid Maya and lackey Doreen are happy to serve him. The US ambassador decided to announce the application of sanctions against me in the context of the fight against the “pernicious influence of the Kremlin” on Moldova. We may have missed the moment as the US ambassador decides what is harmful to our country and what is not. I remind you, Moldova is a neutral state! Only the citizens of Moldova will decide how and what we should do. Today’s decision is a direct intervention of the USA in the internal affairs of Moldova,” the deputy wrote.

In addition, Tauber urged opposition politicians to consider Ambassador Logsdon as an “undesirable” person on the territory of the Republic of Moldova. “I appeal to the entire Moldovan opposition with a request to recognize the US ambassador as persona non grata in our country. Any meetings, at any level, with this person are beneficial to the current government. It’s time to prove that we are not slaves,” she said.

How Ilan Shor reacted

And Ilan Shor reacted to the fact that the USA imposed sanctions against a member of his team. A fugitive oligarch convicted in the “Bank Fraud” case wrote on the X platform: “The current American administration has become a thorn in the side of global democracy.”

President Joe Biden said the measures announced Friday were aimed at making Russian leader Vladimir Putin “pay an even greater price for his aggression abroad and repression at home.”

What are US sanctions and what does Russia say?

The sanctions concern the Russian payment system “Mir”, financial institutions and its military-industrial base, evasion of sanctions, the future of energy production and other areas. They also hit jailers who, according to the US, were involved in the death of Alexei Navalny.

“Do they not understand in Washington that sanctions will not destroy us?” – said Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov, quoted in the embassy’s Telegram channel.

Russia’s export-oriented, $2.2 trillion economy has proven more resilient to two years of unprecedented sanctions than Moscow or the West expected. Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and the war resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and destroyed cities.

On Friday, the US Treasury Department took control of nearly 300 individuals and entities, while the State Department took control of more than 250 individuals and entities, and the Commerce Department added more than 90 companies to the list.

Over the past two years, the United States and its allies have imposed sanctions against thousands of Russian targets.

The United States has also imposed sanctions on organizations based in China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein for circumventing Western sanctions against Russia.

On Friday, the State Department also targeted three officials of Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service whom it accused of involvement in the death of Alexei Navalny, including its deputy director, who it said ordered prison staff to use harsher treatment of an opponent.

U.S. actions have also targeted people involved in what the State Department says would be the forcible transfer or deportation of Ukrainian children.

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