Moldova: Neutrality 'serves Russia's interests'
Analyst Anatol Țăranu argues that Moldova's neutrality is a geopolitical ploy by Russia to keep the country in its sphere of influence. He says that joining NATO would mean modernising Moldova's defence sector and escaping Russia's influence.
"Moldova's neutrality is an illusion we have lived with for many years," Țăranu said. "This illusion was shattered when the war in Ukraine began. The war showed that any bet on neutrality is not worth the paper it is written on. Unfortunately, we live in a region where the military threat is present, and Moldova must redefine its policies for ensuring the security of the state. Unfortunately, there has been no debate in our society about how to ensure our security, and especially about the purpose of what we call neutrality."
Ion Tăbârță, executive director of the NATO Information and Documentation Center in Moldova, said that society is not adequately informed about NATO. He says that the narratives that are currently being promoted are inherited from the Soviet era, when NATO was the Soviet Union's number one rival.
"There are three approaches in Moldova regarding NATO," Tăbârță said. "The first is the general one that has been up to now, namely neutrality, which provides that we do not need to invest in the army because we have neutrality, which after the case of Ukraine is clearly not the case. We have the approach of the authorities, which are forced by the geopolitical context to start this modernization of the National Army, but they continue to insist on neutrality, saying that there are not enough votes in Parliament to change the Constitution, but our society must also change its perception, to want this accession to NATO, but it is not clear how society can do it with so much disinformation. The third approach is more of a glimpse, in which it is said that if we must protect our security, we must enter under a security umbrella, which is NATO."
It is worth noting that Moldova's relations with NATO have intensified since the signing of the Framework Document of the Partnership for Peace Program in 1994. Over the years, NATO allies have supported Moldova, including on the civil dimension, without requiring it to renounce its neutral status.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
