Maia Sandu: The security situation in the region could make the Republic of Moldova want to be part of a "bigger alliance"
The security situation in the region, aggravated by the war started by the Russian Federation in Ukraine, could lead the Republic of Moldova to want to be part of a "bigger alliance This is if the conclusion is reached that the Republic of Moldova needs help and will consider constitutionally changing its neutrality, said the president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, in an interview for Politico.eu.
After this statement, the vice-president of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian Federation Council, Andrei Klimov, threatened the Republic of Moldova, implying that Ukraine's problems began in 2014, after the announcement of Kiev's plans to join NATO.
In this context, the experts from Chisinau state that the neutral status of the Republic of Moldova does not guarantee security and defence, but it must be strengthened.
The capacity of the Republic of Moldova to defend itself is under serious discussion. "It is important to know if it can defend itself or if it should be part of a larger alliance," said the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, in an interview for Politico.eu. When asked about a possible NATO accession, the head of state said that there were discussions about the country's ability to defend itself, and if it was concluded that it would need help, the constitutional change of the state of neutrality would be considered.
After this statement, the Russian deputy, Andrei Klimov, mentioned on Telegram that it was about the desire "to turn Moldovan lands into another theatre of NATO military operations." The Russian MP asked if the Moldovan president is ready to repeat the "suicidal policy" of his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
In context, the political commentator Ion Tăbîrță told Radio Moldova that the Russian Federation often refers to the neutrality status of the Republic of Moldova in order to blackmail it, but the Russian Federation violates the neutrality status by the presence of Russian troops on the territory of the Republic of Moldova.
According to the expert, the statement of President Maia Sandu is made in the context where the security of our country is threatened.
"President Maia Sandu's statement emerges from the geopolitical realities in the region. It is obvious that our neutrality does not ensure the security of our state, and many times neutrality has been used by the Russian Federation for its geopolitical purposes rather than ensuring the security of our state. No one said that we have to give up our neutrality, no one is questioning the accession of the Republic of Moldova to NATO. It would have been strange if we had had another statement from the Russian Federation", said Ion Tăbîrță.
The Moldovan state authorities have repeatedly stated that neutrality does not mean demilitarization and isolation on the external level, but the ability to protect citizens, ensuring their peace.
