NATO stands firm with Moldova: Pressure mounts as Russia looms

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg aired his concerns over the continuous pressure Russia is exerting on Moldova. He expressed this during his Thursday meeting with Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean in Brussels, pressing Russia to withdraw its forces from Moldova.

According to Stoltenberg, Russia employs several tactics, including energy blackmail and disinformation, to unsettle Moldovan society and destabilize the democratic structure of the country.

Nevertheless, Stoltenberg noted Moldova's proactive response to these threats. The country has stood its ground by denouncing Russia's hostility toward Ukraine and implementing measures to bolster its defenses and resilience.

Stoltenberg reaffirmed that NATO wholeheartedly backs Moldova's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Moreover, he urged Russia to pull its troops out of this nation.

Stoltenberg recollected that NATO has devoted significant resources this year to buttress Moldova's cyber defense and strategic communication. He referred to the decisions taken at the July NATO summit in Vilnius, where the group resolved to enhance practical and political cooperation with Chișinău. He also extended his gratitude to Moldova for its contribution to NATO's KFOR mission in Kosovo.

Meanwhile, Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean reassured his nation's commitment to escalating and fortifying its defense capabilities. He stressed how Russia's hostility toward Ukraine has triggered efforts to strengthen Moldovan society, institutions, and defense capabilities.

Moldova, recognized as a neutral state, has been a part of NATO's Partnership for Peace since 1994. Following the onset of Russia's hostility towards neighboring Ukraine, Moldova bolstered its ties with the West.

Experts from Moldova explained that for many years, Moscow and pro-Russian factions in Moldova stigmatized the North Atlantic Alliance. Russian propaganda has also managed to persuade, and continues to insist, that Moldova's neutrality implies refraining from joining military-political alliances and developing its own army.