After invading Ukraine, the Russian Federation has attempted to impose a new world order, a model that does not satisfy anyone. It is a turning point and each country should orient and protect its own interests. It is the time for the Republic of Moldova to also decide how to detach itself from the Russian space and to connect to the European space for good, historian Ion Negrei, ex-Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova, stated in a public debate hosted by IPN.
“Russia’s aggression against Ukraine put the whole world in a nonstandard situation. Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there was a well-organized world order, with pluses and minuses. After launching this invasion, the Russian Federation tried to impose a new world order, as it considers right, by respecting the realities, as the leaders from the Kremlin say. The realities are the taking of Russia’s interests into account and this means ignoring of the interests of other nations and states. From this viewpoint, this model of new world order does not satisfy anyone. We saw that the people united so much that they reject this concept. We are also covered by this concept and should now decide where the Republic of Moldova will go. Will it keep the current formula of political independence? But this status is very vulnerable. We are very vulnerable from energy viewpoint, from the viewpoint of the human factor. Each nation shapes its perspective,” said Ion Negrei.
He noted that the Republic of Moldova should decide how to detach itself from the Russian space and to connect itself to the European space for good. There are relevant models and examples and the most opportune one should be chosen.
“The Baltic States showed that they detached themselves from the Russian space and connected to the European space. Finland, which was dependent on Russia, these days showed its choose – that it also wants to be part of NATO besides being a member of the EU. Poland solves the problem in the context of the European people. In the European space, the Republic of Moldova remains with an undefined status, but now turned into a generator of security not only for our space, but also for the European space. The European powers now lay emphasis on the Republic of Moldova and offer us to orient to the European models more than the messages that come from outside. It is evident that this vulnerability is so great that at a certain moment it can turn the Republic of Moldova into a component part of the Soviet empire in a new formula and also into a danger to the whole European construct,” noted Ion Negrei.
The historian said that Moldova’s basic orientation at the moment should be to the European organizations, in full solidarity with the European world and alongside this world. “It should try and pass the crisis phase that was overcome by mankind and should find the place from which it was separated over 200 years ago, in the European, Romanian space. There can be different formulas according to which it will join the European community – as a state, as a component part of the Romanian state, etc. Discussions should be held to identify the formula. I think it is more expensive and longer to create European structures on both sides, the Romanian one and the Moldovan one. Integrating into Romania is also a problem as the population from this space is not yet ready for such a formula. That’s why work should be done here so as to consciously strengthen this option and to implement it,” he stated.
Ion Negreii noted it’s clear that there will be a new world order, but not in the formula proposed by Russia. It will be a democratic formula and this formula will be also proposed to Russia. Keeping Russia in the form of a revanchist force is dangerous. That’s why in the general formula, Moldova should find its place in Europe.
The public debate entitled “Fate of peripheries of empires. Quo vadis, Moldova?” was the seventh installment of IPN’s project “Impact of the Past on Confidence and Peace Building Processes” that is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation of Germany.
