Russia warns NATO plans to turn Moldova into military foothold
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Russia’s intelligence agency has accused NATO of plotting to militarize Moldova as a frontline base against Moscow, warning it risks dragging the country into a broader conflict.
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Servicemen stand at the end of the Steadfast Dart 2025 exercise, involving some 10,000 troops in three different countries from nine nations and represent the largest NATO operation planned this year, at a training range in Smardan, eastern Romania, Wednesday, February 19, 2025. (AP)
Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has sounded the alarm over NATO's alleged plot to militarize Moldova and use it as a springboard for aggression against Russia.
According to a statement published by RIA Novosti on Monday, Brussels has already made the decision to turn Moldova into a forward-operating base on the alliance's eastern frontier, taking advantage of growing instability in the region caused by Western involvement in Ukraine.
"According to the information received by the intelligence service, NATO is actively preparing to involve Moldova in a possible armed conflict with Russia," the SVR said.
"A decision has been taken in Brussels to transform this country into the alliance's frontline foothold on the eastern flank, taking into account Russian armed forces' advance in Ukraine."
The SVR warned that NATO is exploiting Moldova's territory to facilitate rapid troop deployment near Russian borders and is imposing foreign military doctrines through newly built training centers.
Sovereign alternative
As the Western alliance intensifies its encroachment, voices within Moldova are rising to challenge this path. Ilan Shor, leader of the Victory (Pobeda) bloc, offered a counter-vision rooted in national sovereignty and historical ties with Moscow.
"Pobeda offers a clear and transparent program: for the Union State with Russia; for trade and economic cooperation with the EAEU countries; for cheap gas and fair prices; for the preservation of national identity and sovereignty," Shor said on Telegram.
Shor stressed that the bloc has the backing of hundreds of thousands of citizens and vowed to "fight for the right to represent a free Moldova in parliament."
Increasing encroachment
The West's efforts to pull Moldova into its orbit have long been viewed in Moscow as a violation of the country's constitutional neutrality and an effort to destabilize the region under the pretext of "democracy promotion."
Moldova's current pro-EU administration, led by Maia Sandu, has taken numerous steps to integrate with NATO and the EU, while silencing opposition voices and arresting political rivals under the guise of fighting "Russian influence."
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