British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has said she wants to see Moldova “equipped to NATO standards” to guard it against a potential Russian attack.
The foreign secretary said the UK is discussing the prospect with its allies, given that President Vladimir Putin has been “clear about his ambitions to create a greater Russia”.
Moldova, which lies between Ukraine and Romania, is neutral, and joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace program in 1994. It has not applied to join the military alliance and prior to Russia’s invasion of Moldova, there was no tangible support for this.
NATO’s cooperation with Moldova has focused on supporting the former Soviet republic’s efforts to reform and modernize its defense and security structures and institutions. Moldova is also a valued contributor to the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo.
In an interview with The Telegraph, the British foreign secretary said the aim is to ensure Ukraine is “permanently able to defend itself”, something which also applies to other “vulnerable states” such as Moldova.
“What we’re working on at the moment is a joint commission with Ukraine and Poland on upgrading Ukrainian defences to NATO standards,” she said.
“How do we ensure …. that Ukraine is permanently able to defend itself and how do we guarantee that happens? That’s what we are working on at the moment.”
“And that also applies to other vulnerable states such as Moldova. Because again, the threat is broader from Russia, we also need to make sure that they are equipped to NATO standards.”
