Russia continues to pose one of the most significant threats to the Republic of Moldova, stated Defense Minister Anatolie Nosatîi in an interview with Moldova1. According to the minister, the war in Ukraine has prompted the authorities in Chisinau to enhance their resilience capabilities, acquire radars, and monitor the airspace.
“The Russian Federation is the reason for the tense situation in the Republic of Moldova. These tensions are a result of the hybrid war waged against Moldova, the illegal stationing of Russian troops in the Transnistrian region, the presence of ammunition depots, and much more. This causes citizens to feel this pressure, in addition to the context of the war in the neighboring country. The political document of the National Security Strategy outlines several major priorities – we must be a strong country with national resilience capabilities in all areas. We must go determinedly to achieve the strategic goal of integration into the European Union and to maintain peace and security,” mentioned Anatolie Nosatîi.
In 2023, the budget of the Ministry of Defense was approximately 1.7 billion lei, an increase of 650 million lei compared to 2022. The budget for 2024 is expected to be around two billion lei.