The support given to Ukraine ensures the survival of neighboring Moldova, which would become Putin’s next target if he breaches Ukraine’s defense. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated this during a conference aimed at addressing concerns regarding the expansion of Russian influence in the region.
“Everything we do to support Ukraine also promotes stability for Moldova. It is clear what the greatest concern of the people here is: if Ukraine falls, Moldova is the next country in line,” the German Foreign Minister added.
Annalena Baerbock visited Chisinau for the Partnership Platform with Moldova alongside her counterparts from France, Romania, Poland, the Netherlands, and Lithuania.
Germany, a major military supporter of Kyiv in Europe, initiated the platform after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. It aims to stabilize Moldova’s economy and protect it from Russian disinformation. Moldova, with a Romanian-speaking majority and a significant Russian-speaking minority, has oscillated between pro-Russian and pro-Western governments since the fall of the Soviet Union. Currently, it has a strongly pro-Western administration. Moscow maintains troops in Transnistria, where pro-Russian separatists broke away from Chisinau’s control in a brief war in the early 1990s.
“Moldova could become the next target of the Russian Federation”
Baerbock also stated that the greatest threat to Moldova remains the ongoing war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine and that “if Russia achieves military successes on Ukrainian territory, Moldova could become the next target.”
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“Therefore, support for Ukraine is also for Moldova,” she added.
The Support Platform for Moldova was established at Germany’s initiative in April 2022, following Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine. It also includes France and Romania.
On Tuesday, September 17, over 65 international delegations arrived in Chisinau, including ministers, deputy ministers, and state secretaries from foreign ministries, as well as representatives from the diplomatic corps and international organizations, to attend the 5th edition of the Ministerial Conference of the Partnership Platform for Moldova.