The Republic of Moldova will respect the decision of the International Criminal Court that issued an arrest warrant in the name of the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, for war crimes committed in Ukraine; and if he enters the territory of our country, he will be arrested, Moldovan President Maia Sandu stated in an interview with foreign journalists, M1 Moldova reported.

"Now there is no risk of military invasion for the Republic of Moldova due to Ukraine, which keeps the Russian army away from our borders, but we are facing attempts by Russia to destabilize it. Fortunately, our institutions have been able to defend the country, and we are becoming more resilient. For many years we have seen that Russia is trying to blackmail us using energy, and I want to tell you that today, for the first time since gaining independence, the Republic of Moldova, with the exception of the Transnistrian region, does not consume Russian gas. We are working, we become more resilient, but of course we need support. Propaganda is a big problem, and it has affected our democratic process," said the Moldovan president.

In mid-March, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of war crimes.

Thus, the 123 member countries of this court are obligated to arrest the Kremlin leader if he enters their territory. Moscow has repeatedly denied allegations that its armed forces committed atrocities in Ukraine.

Moldova ratified the treaty establishing the International Criminal Court, which entered into force on January 1, 2011.