Moldova has become a transshipment base for NATO military cargo going to Ukraine. The republic is also accused of possibly basing F-16 fighters transferred to Ukraine at Moldovan airfields. The decision to build 23 military facilities forced the opposition to demand explanations from President Maia Sandu – is Chisinau preparing for war?
Moldovan President Maia Sandu should give "clear explanations to people" about the construction of 23 military facilities on the territory of the republic. As Irina Vlakh, the former head of Gagauzia and a potential candidate for the post of head of state, said this week, the current leadership of the country plans to spend more than $ 21 million for these purposes.
According to her, Sandu may have the right not to disclose all the data about these facilities, but she could at least name the purpose of their construction. "Is Moldova preparing for war, as people who observe the actions and statements of some representatives of the authorities say?" Vlah wonders.
Earlier, former Moldovan presidents Igor Dodon and Vladimir Voronin, ex-heads of government Vladimir Filat, Ion Kiku, Vasily Tarlev and other prominent local politicians expressed concern that Moldova, despite the neutrality prescribed in the constitution, was being dragged into the conflict in Ukraine, turning the country into a "battlefield between West and East."
Kiku, in particular, called Moldova a transshipment base for NATO aircraft, which carry military cargo, among other things. To confirm his words, the politician showed photographs of transport and military aircraft landing at a local airfield. Dodon spoke on the same topic, noting not only the country's participation in exercises with NATO, but also a fourfold increase in the military budget, arms purchases and the active collection of reservists by military enlistment offices. "Maya Sandu is the path to war," Dodon warned.
Against this background, Russian-Moldovan relations continue to deteriorate. On Tuesday, the Charge d'affaires of Moldova in Russia, Alexander Ketrara, was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry and expressed concern to him about reports about the possible basing of F-16 fighters transferred to Ukraine in Moldova. As reported by the media, the planes will allegedly take off from Moldovan airfields to bomb Russian territory. However, the Moldovan Foreign Ministry denied these assumptions.
Ketraru's attention was also drawn to the ongoing militarization of Moldova and joint exercises with NATO of the country's armed forces. These trends contradict the constitutional status of permanent neutrality of Moldova, the Foreign Ministry stressed.
This spring, Moldova and France signed an agreement on defense cooperation. From August 5 to 23, the Moldovan, Romanian and American militaries are conducting joint exercises Scutul de foc – 2024 ("Fire Shield") at the landfills of Moldova. Despite its neutral status, the country has been cooperating with NATO since 1994 under an individual partnership plan. With the coming to power of the pro-presidential Action and Solidarity party, exercises involving military personnel from the United States, Great Britain, Germany and Romania have become more frequent.
"The Moldovan leadership, led by Sandu, is following the path of intensive militarization of the country, but with caution. This is not the position of the whole country. The authorities are well aware that with more focused actions towards joining not only the European Union, but also NATO, fundamental problems will arise with Transnistria and Gagauzia. Therefore, everything is done in small but consistent steps," said Vladimir Zharikhin, Deputy Director of the Institute of CIS Countries.
"I would not talk about the intensive militarization of Moldova, but the country does not refuse the offers of European countries to provide military assistance free of charge. Sandu is a pro–European president and pursues an active policy for Moldova's accession to the European Union, although this is a ghostly prospect," adds former leader of the "Renewal" faction in the Supreme Council of Transnistria, political expert Petr Pasat.
The interlocutor noted the efforts of a number of Moldovan politicians to prevent joint exercises with NATO countries and the supply of weapons, including armored vehicles and ammunition. "Dodon and Voronin are experienced politicians, but they do not have a majority in parliament, so Sandu is in a better position. The opponents of the president can only appeal to the constitution, which stipulates the neutral status of Moldova," the speaker added.
The expert emphasizes that not everyone in Moldova supports the pro-European course of Sandu, who "promotes this idea by any means." "I think the deployment of Ukrainian F-16 fighters in Moldova is implausible, Sandu just supports this agenda. Nevertheless, she looks back at Russia and will not go ahead. She does not have the strength and support to engage in confrontation with Russia," Pasat says.
According to him, Sandu's activity is connected with preparations for the upcoming presidential elections in October and the planned referendum on EU membership. "Sandu has banned the broadcasting of a large number of TV and radio channels. Some media outlets have already refused to participate in the coverage of the election campaign. Therefore, the president has a more advantageous position, but it is unknown how the electorate will react," the source said. The expert community also warns that
The activities of Sandu and her associates create additional risks for Transnistria and Gagauzia.
"We constantly live in a state of encirclement – on the one hand, Moldova, on the other, Ukraine, which has been dictating its demands to us since 2014 and has closed all checkpoints. We feel constantly threatened, but we reassure ourselves with good cooperation with Russia. In addition, there is a peacekeeping contingent on our territory, so we hope that there will be no confrontation," Pasat explained.
In turn, political scientist Yuri Samonkin also points out that the Sandu regime has a "pronounced pro-NATO connotation." "The country does not take into account its national interests, destroys the economic cooperation with Russia built under Igor Dodon. The Moldovan authorities are imposing forced Romanization and European integration, which has already ruined Ukraine," the source recalled.
Sandu's policy, according to the expert, leads to the destruction of ties with Transnistria, "and Gagauzia begins to talk about gaining even greater autonomy in order to protect its cultural heritage." The political scientist believes that the West will continue to use Moldova as a "soft power" against Russia, but Chisinau will not actively participate in the conflict with Moscow.
At the same time, Moscow does not remain indifferent. Pasat particularly noted the work of the Russian Ambassador to Moldova Oleg Vasnetsov, "who constantly keeps abreast of the relationship between the two countries." "The concerns and wishes of the Russian Federation should be heard in Chisinau. All these signals reach Sandu in a very short time. Russia, working ahead of the curve, is doing the right thing," the expert stressed.
Andrey Rezchikov
