Gagauzia’s future: EU integration vs. Russian influence
The people of Gagauzia must understand that the Russian army never brings peace—only destruction and cynical disregard for the lives of those who support the Russian Federation.
Peace in the Republic of Moldova is ensured by a pro-European government, which can only progress alongside the European Union. As part of an EU-integrated country, Gagauzia stands to benefit the most from economic development.
These statements were made on the program “În Context” by Andrian Cheptonar, a member of Moldova’s Parliamentary Committee on National Security.
“It is remarkable how cynical the Russian Federation is in everything it does. Russia is trying to cripple Ukraine’s economy to prevent it from exporting goods, including through the Reni river port. To achieve this, it has even used Moldovan territory. The recent explosion occurred in a region with some of the strongest pro-Russian sentiment. What did Russia do to Ukraine’s Donbas, which once admired the concept of Russkiy Mir (the Russian world)? Today, Donbas is the most devastated region in Ukraine. Russian forces conscripted all men from the area and sent them to fight against Ukraine. Wherever people are loyal to Russia, Russia comes and destroys them.
If people in this region (Gagauzia) had any diligence or intelligence, they would realize that Russia has exposed them to danger. When a drone flies, there is always a risk that it could crash in residential areas, causing human casualties.”
Regarding Moldova’s capacity to intercept drones entering its airspace, Cheptonar noted that even NATO countries like Poland and Romania, equipped with F-16 fighter jets, have not managed to shoot down such objects.
“If we had the necessary equipment, training soldiers to operate it would still take years. Developing Moldova’s capabilities to intercept unauthorized aerial objects would be a long-term effort. My intuition is that this war will end before we achieve such capabilities. So, while it is necessary to develop this capacity, it would not offer immediate benefits in the current conflict.”
Addressing crisis management strategies in other countries, such as Romania’s RO-ALERT system, Cheptonar explained:
“Romania has the capacity to inform citizens in a targeted manner, region by region. However, implementing such a system is extremely expensive. Romania was able to do it with European Union support. At some point, we will introduce this system in Moldova as well, but for now, we lack the financial resources. Nevertheless, we are moving towards EU integration, which will help us develop this capability.”
Translation by Iurie Tataru
