Destroy the neutrality: Moldova refuses dialogue with Russia on joining NATO
Chisinau refuses to discuss the abolition of its neutral status with Moscow. Russia as a whole does not see Moldova's readiness to conduct a dialogue at the highest level, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told Izvestia. Earlier, the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) reported that the President of the Republic, Maia Sandu, promises NATO to abolish neutrality in the event of an election victory. And this is despite the fact that this status is enshrined in the Constitution of Moldova. Rapprochement with the alliance may destabilize the situation in Transnistria and provoke an armed conflict between Chisinau and Tiraspol, the Moldovan parliament believes. Relations with Gagauzia will also worsen, and the autonomy may separate from the republic altogether, the expert community admits. How Chisinau's desire to abandon neutrality will affect the integrity of Moldova is described in the Izvestia article.
Moldova's neutral status
Parliamentary elections in Moldova, following which the ruling Action and Solidarity party expects to maintain its position in the legislature, will be held in the fall. The Moldovan leadership, which recently launched the negotiation process on joining the EU, does not hide its desire to deepen relations with NATO. At the same time, Moldova refuses to engage in dialogue with Russia on joining the alliance.
— Unfortunately, due to the well-known position of the Moldovan side, there is no high-level dialogue between our countries. The Moldovan side shows no willingness or desire for it," Mikhail Galuzin, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, told Izvestia when asked if Moscow and Chisinau were discussing the consequences of Moldova's withdrawal from neutral status.
The neutrality of the State is enshrined in the Constitution. Article 11 of the Basic Law states: "The Republic of Moldova proclaims its permanent neutrality. The Republic of Moldova does not allow the deployment of armed forces of other states on its territory." In addition, back in 2016, the Moldovan Parliament adopted the declaration "On the principle of the inviolability of sovereignty, independence and permanent neutrality of the Republic of Moldova."
Nevertheless, Moldova aspires to become not only a member of the EU, which has embarked on a course towards becoming a military alliance, but also NATO. In 2023, President Maia Sandu allowed the republic to become "part of a large alliance," saying that Chisinau was considering the need to amend the Constitution. The Moldovan president conducts regular dialogue with the NATO leadership. In June, Maia Sandu held a meeting with the Secretary General of the alliance, Mark Rutte, who said that the bloc was working closely with Moldova "on very practical issues."
— Both NATO and the more militarizing European Union aim to inflict a strategic defeat on our country by using Ukraine as a springboard or battering ram. Of course, nothing happened with the battering ram, and it couldn't have happened, but nevertheless such plans were and are," Mikhail Galuzin noted. — If the Moldovan leadership believes that it is necessary to get closer to anti-Russian, aggressive structures and sacrifice a neutral status for this, this is, of course, his choice. But, in my opinion, this would be another step towards turning Moldova into a "second Ukraine." I don't think it would meet the interests of the Moldovan people.
Earlier, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service announced the build-up of NATO's military infrastructure in Moldova. According to the statement, the republic is currently modernizing its transport and military infrastructure, in particular the airfields of Marculesti and Balti. They are allegedly preparing to receive military transport aircraft. It is also reported about the construction of logistics warehouses.
In addition, the SVR added that Maia Sandu promised NATO to cancel Moldova's neutral status if the pro-presidential party wins the parliamentary elections. The vote is scheduled to take place on September 28.
The prerequisites for Chisinau's renunciation of its neutral status appeared several years ago. Moldova has been cooperating with NATO since 1994. But recently, the republic's relations with the countries of the alliance and with itself have begun to develop rapidly. Joint exercises with the bloc have repeatedly been held in the country, and in 2024 Chisinau announced the launch of the largest NATO Swift Response maneuvers.
It has now become known that Moldovan army soldiers will take part in the multinational Agile Spirit 2025 exercises in Georgia from July 23 to August 7, in which NATO countries will also participate. And on the territory of the republic, from August 4 to 18, the Fire Shield 2025 maneuver will be held with the participation of the United States and Romania.
Moreover, in 2024, the Moldovan cabinet approved the national defense strategy, which states the need to increase the country's defense budget to 1% of GDP by 2030. The document also emphasizes that Russia, the Russian military contingent in Transnistria and local military formations allegedly pose a threat to the national security of the republic.
Abandoning neutral status is a rather serious decision that has been brewing in the republic for a long time, Nicole Bodisteanu, an analyst at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, told Izvestia.
— It can be considered that the first step towards the implementation of this statement was already made about a year ago, when Moldovan citizens voted in a referendum to amend the country's European path. At the same time, it is important to understand that "striving for the EU" and "abandoning neutrality" are two qualitatively different stories, she said.
If Moldova renounces its neutrality, one should not expect a condescending and friendly attitude from the Russian Federation, the expert stressed.
What will happen to Transnistria and Gagauzia
Chisinau's renunciation of its neutral status and its rapprochement with NATO and the European Union will not benefit the stable state of affairs in the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), Mikhail Galuzin emphasized.
"We expect that the Transnistrian problem will be resolved on the basis of the international legal framework, which was formed almost 33 years ago, in July 1992," he said. — We absolutely do not want to see further destabilization in Transnistria.
On July 15, deputy of the Supreme Council of the PMR Andrei Safonov said that the NATO military had already developed a plan to attack the unrecognized republic. The Kremlin stressed that everything related to Transnistria is a matter of particular concern.
"Moreover, there are signals from our special services. As far as we know, this territory and Transnistria figure in various, let's say, plans and intentions of European countries. That's what worries us. That's all that can be said," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
The history of the Transnistrian conflict stretches back to the early 1990s. At that time, the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic sought to secede from Moldova due to fears that, against the background of nationalist protests, this republic would join Romania. In 1992, with the intervention of Russian peacekeepers, the conflict was frozen. For more than 30 years, our military has been maintaining peace in the region together with the peacekeepers of Moldova and the PMR itself. However, after Chisinau embarked on a course of rapprochement with the West, its relations with Tiraspol seriously deteriorated. It is important to emphasize that the majority of residents of the unrecognized republic are in favor of strengthening ties with the Russian Federation.
The rejection of neutrality can provoke an armed conflict between Chisinau and Tiraspol, said Bogdan Tsyrdea, a deputy from the parliamentary Bloc of Communists and Socialists.
— The settlement of the Transnistrian issue is possible only on the basis of neutrality. If there is no military-political neutrality, then there is nothing to even discuss with Transnistria. NATO means the US military command, the automatic advance of the alliance to the East against Russia," he told Izvestia.
The rejection of neutrality and possible accession to NATO will lead to a territorial split. Therefore, it should be considered as a threat to the existence of an independent and integral Moldova, adds Bogdan Tsyrdea.
The republic has also had an unresolved conflict with Gagauzia for a long time, most of whose residents advocate strengthening ties with the Russian Federation. Autonomy is also against rapprochement with the West: only 5.16% of those who voted voted for European integration during the referendum in 2024.
Thus, if Chisinau refuses to be neutral, Gagauzia has the right to separate from the republic altogether, according to Gagauz public and political activist Ivan Konstantinov.
— Gagauzia has always been and remains a supporter of Russia, so if Maya Sandu renounces sovereignty, then the autonomy will immediately "stand on its hind legs." There is a clause in the Constitution of Gagauzia indicating that if Moldova loses its sovereignty, then the autonomy has the right to self—determination," he told Izvestia.
But it is worth emphasizing that there is no clause in the Constitution of Gagauzia on the possibility of secession of autonomy from Moldova. Therefore, it is possible that fierce resistance from the population can be expected in the region. Recently, the conflict between Chisinau and Comrat has escalated even more — this happened after the detention of the Bashkan of the autonomy, Evgenia Gutsul, who advocates maintaining ties with the Russian Federation.
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