By the decision to ban the participation by Moldovan service members in the military exercise in Ukraine, President Igor Dodon tried to give a signal to the voters that he is firm on his position and defends the status of neutrality of the Republic of Moldova. The issue was discussed in the talk show “Emphasis on today” on TVR Moldova channel, IPN reports.
Ex-MP Stela Jantuan said the stance adopted by President Dodon does not look like an attempt to weaken the National Army’s capacity from the position of supreme commander. Making use of his constitutional power, the President tried to give a signal that he is firm on his position and defends the status of neutrality of Moldova. ”This decision, to my mind, has nothing to do with the security of the Republic of Moldova, with the participation by our army in exercises. Moldova should form part of peacekeeping and antiterrorist operations, in particular,” stated the former MP, noting that she does not see a subject worth being discussed in what Igor Dodon does now.
Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova Viorel Cibotaru, ex-minister of defense, said the President provided no plausible argument in favor of non-participation in the exercises in Ukraine. “The main goal of these exercises is to interact within common peacekeeping or rescue/unblocking operations. These are not conventional exercises in which the Republic of Moldova could take part in particular contexts that would require special discussions and would not run counter to the notion of neutrality, as the current international law treats it, not the Russian Federation,” he stated.
On September 5, President Igor Dodon requested the Ministry of Defense to stop the preparations for the participation by 57 National Army soldiers in the Rapid Trident exercise that will be held at the Yavoriv Combat Training Center in Ukraine. The next day, the Government assumed responsibility for the service members’ participation in the training in Ukraine. The September 6 Government decision took effect the same day, following its publication in the Official Gazette, IPN reports.
