According to Oleg Ozerov, Russia’s unaccredited ambassador to Chișinău, the West is preparing the Republic of Moldova for a military confrontation with Russia, a country that, unlike the West, observes the rights of its neighbors.
NEWS: “Russian Ambassador to Chișinău, Oleg Ozerov, said that the West is deliberately preparing the Republic of Moldova for a confrontation with Russia by using the same methods applied in Ukraine: bolstering the army, expanding military infrastructure, deploying NATO instructors and stoking Russophobic sentiment, TASS reports.
He emphasized that authorities in Chișinău are ignoring the country's constitutionally mandated neutrality and accelerating militarization to serve their ‘Western handlers’, whose ultimate goal is the 'strategic defeat' of the Russian Federation. He added that history demonstrates how the West cynically uses its proxy states as 'expendable assets' in armed conflicts, with Ukraine’s tragic experience serving as direct evidence in that regard.
Ozerov further claimed that attempts to rewrite history and erase shared chapters of the Russian-Moldovan past are being driven by pressure from the 'Brussels-Bucharest axis,' which allegedly treats the Republic of Moldova as a disenfranchised periphery. In contrast, the diplomat noted that Russia advocates for the sovereign equality of states and the right of nations to self-determination”.
NARRATIVES: 1. The Republic of Moldova is building up its military at the behest of the West, which is priming it for an armed conflict with Russia. 2. Unlike the West, Russia respects the right of nations to self-determination.
PURPOSE: To frame the Republic of Moldova as a state being pushed by the West into a military clash with Russia. To suggest that expanding Moldova’s defense capabilities is an externally driven militarization effort rather than a legitimate national security strategy. To portray constitutional neutrality as incompatible with NATO cooperation and defense enhancement. To to imply that Moldova’s alignment with the European Union and Romania undermines its sovereignty and turns it into an externally controlled satellite. Finally, to position Russia as a defender of state sovereignty and self-determination, in contrast to the West.
WHY THE NARRATIVES ARE FALSE: Claims that the Republic of Moldova is being prepared, armed or coerced into joining the war in Ukraine against Russia have been central to Russian propaganda in recent years. These points aim to stoke public fear, undermine the pro-European government and cast Russia as a victim targeted for destruction by the West. Narratives claiming that the West is forcing Moldova onto Ukraine's path or turning it into a launching pad for military operations against Russia are among the many false narratives debunked by Veridica.
The false narrative surrounding Moldova’s militarization and neutrality violations forms part of a broader disinformation claim regarding the country's involvement in the conflict. Moldova shares no physical border with Russia, lacks direct access to the sea and operates on an annual defense budget of roughly 100 million Euro, slightly over a third of what Ukraine spends on defense in a single day.
What marks a shift in the unaccredited ambassador’s statements, however, is that arguments previously pushed through fringe media, self-styled experts or radical politicians are now being issued directly as official Russian state talking points.
Does Moscow observe the right to self-determination?
Regarding Russia’s claimed observance of other states’ sovereignty, Moscow's actions and official statements reveal a pattern of direct and indirect interference in Moldova. This includes backing pro-Russian politicians, attempting to dictate the nation's foreign policy through energy blackmail and economic pressure, maintaining an unauthorized military footprint in Moldova and supporting the separatist regime in Tiraspol, thereby perpetuating the Transnistrian conflict to stall the country’s progress. The most definitive evidence remains Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, launched specifically to block a sovereign nation from pursuing a pro-Western course.
BACKGROUND: The Republic of Moldova is a neutral state under its Constitution, and officials in Chișinău have consistently reiterated that the country has no intention of being drawn into the war in Ukraine. Cooperation with NATO and Western partners is aimed strictly at enhancing defense capabilities and institutional resilience against hybrid threats, cyberattacks and destabilization efforts.
Meanwhile, the Russian Federation continues to station troops and military assets in the Transnistrian region without the consent of Moldova's constitutional government. Russia's war in neighboring Ukraine has forced Moldova to strengthen its defense readiness and diversify its security alliances, none of which violates its constitutional neutrality or signifies offensive preparations against Russia.
