Russia does not respect the neutrality status of the Republic of Moldova, even though it invokes this status in its official discourse. The statement belongs to expert Igor Botan and was made during the public debate “What are the aims of Russia’s threats against Moldova?”, organized by the IPN Press Agency. During the debate, the expert pointed out that Moscow exerts pressure on the authorities in Chisinau and, at the same time, sends encouraging signals to a significant part of the opposition.

Igor Botan referred to the contradiction between the official discourse of the Russian Federation and its actions towards the Republic of Moldova. “The rhetoric of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is clear, reminding the Republic of Moldova that it is a neutral state, even though we have over 20 ECHR decisions regarding human rights violations in the Transnistrian region where Russia is condemned. And this is because Russia, de facto, controls this territory. First of all, Russia does not respect the neutrality status of the Republic of Moldova,” explained the permanent expert of the project.

In his opinion, Moscow’s pressures are not only aimed at the authorities of the Republic of Moldova, but also have an internal political component. Igor Boțan believes that the messages coming from Russia are used by certain opposition forces to discredit the government in Chisinau.

“The stake of Russia is the threat to the authorities of the Republic of Moldova. Moreover, Russia offers a sign of encouragement for a segment of the opposition in the Republic of Moldova that uses this rhetoric in political struggle,” the expert specified.

Also, Igor Botan explained that in the event of a military aggression, the size and limited capabilities of the state, as well as the constitutional status of neutrality, make it difficult to obtain external security guarantees. “The Republic of Moldova is a small state, with modest potential. In crisis situations, it is unlikely that anyone would commit to ensuring the Republic of Moldova’s security conditions. Especially since the Republic of Moldova is, according to the Constitution, a neutral state,” the expert further stated.

The public debate “What are Russia’s threats to Moldova aiming at?” is the 359th edition in the series “Developing political culture in public debates”. The IPN Agency carries out this series of debates with the support of the German Hanns Seidel Foundation.