“The authorities are now preoccupied with the non-involvement of the Republic of Moldova in this war so that the country is not exposed to a direct military attack to which our country cannot respond,” ex-minister of defense Viorel Cibotaru, director of the European Institute for Political Studies, expert in national and international security, stated in a public debate hosted by IPN.
“We all, the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, regardless of ethnicity, political affiliation, experience and age, should plead for a swift halt to these atrocities, to this military conflict as, when rockets fly above people’s heads, absolutely everything is irrational, nothing is clear and the future is uncertain.”
Viorel Cibotaru approved of the government’s efforts to focus on essential problems on which the welfare of each citizen depends – the rise in prices or any other dysfunctionality that can be caused by the war in Ukraine. “There is no time for political disputes. We should leave aside all the forms of protest that are not related to the survival of our state. The Republic of Moldova should also fight for survival as an independent state, as Ukraine does now. We are yet in a better situation as we are not directly attacked by an army,” noted the expert.
Viorel Cibotaru voiced hope that that the international support for Ukraine, the wave of sanctions against Russia will stop the irrational aggression that wasn’t provoked by actions that would justify fighting in central Ukraine, the attack on Kyiv and the occupation of Chernobyl. He said the siege of Odessa would dramatically change the situation in Ukraine and the region.
“At geopolitical, geostrategic and political levels, we should all realize that the Republic of Moldova is in a very and very delicate situation. We had been victims of such a type of conflict in 1992. We were significantly affected after the conflict of 2014 – 2015 and now we are again in a very delicate situation. On the one hand, we have the status of neutrality that dictates a particular conduct. On the other hand, we have troops of the Russian Federation that stay illegally on the territory of the Republic of Moldova. We also have paramilitary units of the self-proclaimed Transnistrian republic,” explained Viorel Cibotaru, noting the authorities avoid making bellicose statements that can seriously affect the situation as hybrid warfare can be used and the supply of power and gas can be disrupted.
The Moldovan authorities and society should take an emotional break. “We should avoid expressing emotions that can cause panic among less informed people and should support the authorities. So far, authorities’ decisions were absolutely correct, being based on the legislation of the Republic of Moldova and being in accordance with all the standards. We must stop any possibility of disinformation. The intelligence services should stop that part of the hybrid warfare that is now aimed against Ukraine and the Western world and that discourages the people and creates panic and chaos,” stated Viorel Cibotaru.
The public debate titled “Position and actions of Moldova in new conditions of security” was the 226th installment of the series “Developing Political Culture through Public Debates”. IPN’s project is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
