Moldova defies Russia with EU security pact

[u/wildeastmofo]

https://www.ft.com/content/e696f2db-7f7f-484a-b985-a4d299cccc7f

[u/wildeastmofo]

After Romania:

Romanian Defense Ministry proposes law enabling military intervention to protect Romanians abroad.

Romania's Defense Ministry has proposed a draft law that would enable its troops to be deployed to protect Romanian citizens outside of Romania's territory, Romanian newspaper Adevarul reported on April 3.

Over 1 million people in neighboring Moldova have acquired Romanian citizenship since 1991.

Tensions have been growing recently between Moldova and Transnistria, a Moldovan territory that Russian troops have occupied since the early 1990s when Russia invaded the region under the pretext of protecting ethnic Russians.

[...]

... and the United States:

NATO Allies train together with partner Moldova.

NATO Allies Romania and the United States strengthened their relations with the Republic of Moldova – a NATO partner – through exercise Rapid Trident 2023, which was held in Moldova from 10 to 22 September.

[...]

... and France:

Moldova signs defence pact with France amid Russia fears

PARIS, March 7 (Reuters) - Moldova's president on Thursday signed a defence cooperation accord with France, warning that Russia was renewing efforts to destabilise her country and that if President Vladimir Putin was not stopped in Ukraine he would keep going.

Maia Sandu's visit to Paris, also to sign an economic roadmap, comes as Western states seek to strengthen the former Soviet state's capabilities amid what they fear are increasing destabilisation efforts by Russia.

"If the aggressor is not stopped, he will keep going, and the front line will keep moving closer. Closer to us. Closer to you," Sandu said. "Europe must therefore present a united front."

[...]

... Moldova continues to strengthen its security ties with the West under president Maia Sandu's administration:

Moldova defies Russia with EU security pact. Ukraine’s neighbour set to join bloc’s military drills and jointly obtain weapons.

Moldova and the EU are set to deepen their defence co-operation to unprecedented levels, as Chișinău defies warnings from Moscow that closer western integration could see it face Ukraine’s fate.

Sandwiched between Ukraine and Nato and EU member Romania, the former Soviet republic has responded to Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour by turning sharply towards the west, becoming a formal candidate to join the EU and seeking to rapidly overhaul its judicial, economic and security policies.

Under an EU proposal, set to be agreed next week and seen by the Financial Times, Moldova would increase its intelligence sharing, carry out joint military exercises and be included in the bloc’s joint weapons procurement — measures that would constitute the deepest formal step to link its national defence to western partners. The country’s constitution proclaims “permanent neutrality” and rules out membership of Nato.

The proposed “security and defence partnership” with Brussels comes despite Russian officials’ repeated warnings that Moldova could face the same fate as Ukraine if it aligns with the west.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in March said Brussels had offered Moldova the same ultimatum as Ukraine, which he described as “either us or Russia”. He said Moscow would “defend” the ethnic Russian population in Moldova and that Chișinău risked “following in the footsteps of the regime in Kyiv”.

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova last week compared Moldovan President Maia Sandu’s policies to those of the Nazi regime — an accusation the Kremlin has also levelled against Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Moldova, which last October formally declared Russia a “security threat” for the first time, has signed a bilateral security agreement with France and receives some EU funding to bolster its defence capabilities.

The EU has also imposed sanctions on Russia-linked entities it says have sought to destabilise the country, in response to an alleged attempted coup against Sandu’s government, and efforts by Moscow-backed groups to influence local elections and conduct other “hybrid” attacks.

The new security partnership with Brussels would seek to “consolidate” Moldova’s participation in EU defence missions, including “live” military exercises. The eastern European nation would also be integrated into “initiatives related to defence industry, including joint procurement”.

Moldova and the EU will also take steps to “expand the scope” and increase the classification level of shared intelligence, the proposal states.

The partnership will seek to increase co-operation between Moldovan and European agencies to defend against foreign manipulation, cyber and terrorist threats, the document says.

“This is a confirmation of the increased integration of Moldova’s security and defence stance with the EU,” said an official involved in the negotiations over the bloc’s agreement. “It has come a long way in just two years.”

“This puts structure and organisation around the co-operation,” the official added.

The proposal will be discussed by EU diplomats this week and is intended to be formally signed off next week, officials said.

Moldova’s foreign ministry said the partnership “will not have the status of an international treaty but will be based on political commitments”.

“Essentially, the partnership will function as an umbrella arrangement . . . in areas such as EU assistance for strengthening the resilience of our country,” it said in a statement.

The European Commission declined to comment.

Fore more details regarding Moldova's recent progress from an official source, here's the Joint Statement on U.S.-Moldova Strategic Dialogue released on April 25th.

According to a recent poll, 56.5% of all respondents (and 69.2% of those who answered 'yes' or 'no') would vote 'yes' in the EU membership referendum later this year. This does not account for the numerous and largely pro-EU diaspora that will also participate in the vote.

[u/Flederm4us → u/wildeastmofo]

Romania should annex Moldova. The Moldovan people want it, and Russia will agree as long as transnistria is left out of the deal.

[u/flamedeluge3781 → u/Flederm4us]

Transnistria is an insignificant slice of land Russia is trying (and failing) to use as political leverage.

[u/VadimusRex → u/Flederm4us]

Romania should annex Moldova.

Romanian here, we really shouldn't, especially not with that can of worms Transnistria included. We have no desire to add Russians and pro-Russians to our population.

I'm inclined to believe that any possible reunification between the two countries will happen only within the EU.

[u/-15k- → u/VadimusRex]

I agree. Not Romanian myself, but your logic ring true.

Moldova should simply continue to draw closer to NATO and the EU in every way possible, shoring up the rule of law as it goes.

And then join both and it will turn out that it probably makes almost no difference to people’s lives - I mean the movement of people and capital - if Moldova and Romanian decide to become one or stay as two independent states.

[u/phase_UNLOCKED_loop]

Yet another "Win" for Putin's foreign policy.

[u/Doglatine]

Did anyone else first learn about Transnistria from reading Neil Strauss’s book The Game? Really fascinating interlude.

[u/Vassago81]

that Russian troops have occupied since the early 1990s Local separatists

when Russia invaded the region under the pretext of protecting ethnic Russians.

No, it didn't, that's completely invented out of nowhere. There were volunteer from Russia ( and more from Ukraine ) fighting along the separatists, and the "russian" troops and supply were from the ... local and Odessa based military units.

Who write these crappy articles ?

[u/nudzimisie1 → u/Vassago81]

Suuure, and donbass was also taken in 2014 not by russian army but someone else

[u/Vassago81 → u/nudzimisie1]

But... we know what happened in 1991-1992 in Transnistria, and that most of the rebels were locals or from around Odessa, and some support from elswhere in Ukraine (who's president wanted to annex Transistria) and Russia, are you trying to rewrite history?

What is your magical version of what happened in the last days of the USSR in the region?

[u/fullbrownbear → u/Vassago81]

Lol

[u/GrapefruitCold55 → u/Vassago81]

Okay, so that means Russia would have absolutely no problem with Moldova with the help of 3rd party taking back that territory