"Our eastern neighbors, Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine, following their own independent judgment, have signed association agreements with the EU. Russia is creating obstacles for these three countries," Merkel was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
The chancellor also approved of the European Union's action in regard to Russia in light of the situation in Ukraine. In her opinion, Russia violates the territorial integrity of Ukraine, thus acting in breach with the 1994 Budapest Memorandum concerning Ukraine's sovereignty and integrity.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin on Monday called on Moldovan authorities to think carefully about the country's EU integration.
On November 30, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Russian State Duma Alexei Pushkov said that the EU would lead itself to a full collapse by letting Ukraine join the bloc.
