Russia's invasion of Ukraine prompts Moldova to consider moving away from constitutionally mandated neutrality and joining a "

The President of the country, Maia Sandu, in an interview with POLITICO, in response to a question about a possible entry into NATO, said that Moldova is considering such a step.

“Now there is a serious discussion about our ability to protect ourselves, can we do it ourselves, or should we become part of a larger alliance. And if we at some point as a nation come to the conclusion that we need to change neutrality, this should take place in a democratic way,” she said..

In her response, Sandu was careful about the name of this alliance and, in order not to irritate Putin, did not specify whether it was NATO.. The Russian dictator is already trying to destabilize Moldova's pro-European government and has warned Moldova against further military cooperation with Western allies.

Although Moldova is not a member of NATO, it cooperates with the organization and contributes to the NATO peacekeeping force in Kosovo.

Last September, Sandu, along with other leaders, met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in New York during the UN General Assembly. Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu took part in the December NATO meeting in Bucharest, the first time that a Moldovan Foreign Minister took part in a NATO ministerial meeting. At this meeting, the Allies reaffirmed their support for Moldova, including through the provision of training for the Moldovan Defense Forces.. Neighboring NATO member Romania is also particularly interested in increased military cooperation.

The most obvious obstacle to the further integration of Moldova is that Russian soldiers are based inland, in the separatist region of Transnistria..

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However, military calculation is becoming more and more relevant.. Moldova found itself perilously close to the hostilities launched by Russia in Ukraine last year. Only last week, fragments of rockets were again found in the north of the country.. Attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine also lead to power outages in Moldova.

As the newspaper notes, Moldova must act delicately: on the one hand, remaining true to its pro-Western and European trajectory, on the other hand, without provoking Russia, which can use military force..

Sandu denies any perception that Moldova's move to bolster its defenses - either by increasing its own military capability or by forging closer relations with other allies - is provocative, stressing that it is Russia, not Ukraine or Moldova, that is the aggressor..

“Moldova is a peaceful country. It's not Moldova that started a war against its neighbors. Russian propaganda has managed to convince part of the population that neutrality means you don't have to invest in your defense sector, that neutrality means you don't do anything and you don't have the ability to defend yourself..

It's wrong,"

The President says her country remains very “vulnerable” and is subject to a Russian hybrid war carried out through propaganda and disinformation, but at the moment there is no talk of a military threat primarily because of the courage and resilience of the Ukrainians.

“Thanks to the courage and resistance of the Ukrainians, we are not facing a military threat. We face a number of risks, but none of them compares to the situation in Ukraine and the price Ukrainians pay,” she stressed..

As reported, Moldova turned to the allies with a request to strengthen the country's air defense capabilities against the backdrop of the war that the Russian Federation continues in Ukraine..