CHISINAU, July 10. /TASS/. Moldova’s authorities are seeking to drag the country into an arms race against the East, which jeopardizes its security, Moldova’s former President Igor Dodon said on Monday, commenting on Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicolae Popescu’s participation in the NATO summit that opens in Vilnius on July 11.

"Participation in the NATO summit is categorically unacceptable - Moldova is being drawn into an arms race against the East. It is a threat to Moldova’s security. We don’t need NATO weapons here, we don’t need NATO soldiers. We must stay neutral and preserve peace on our territory," he wrote on his Telegram channel and called on President Maia Sandu "to leave the Moldovans alone."

"If Maia Sandu wants to take up arms, let her go to another country - she has other citizenships - and arm herself there. We are categorically against Moldovan representatives’ participation in the NATO summit and other 'moves' by the current authorities. I am sure that if the issue of Moldova’s being dragged into hostilities is raised, the Moldovan people will rebuff these plans," he noted.

Sandu said in an interview with Politico earlier that she doesn’t rule out that in the context of the Ukrainian crisis the republic could abandon its neutrality and join NATO. She stressed that this decision should be made via a nationwide referendum, since, according to opinion polls, the bulk of Moldovans are against joining NATO and the number of those opposing this step has even increased in recent months. Moldova is cooperating with NATO under an individual partnership plan. The alliance has an information center in Chisinau and a liaison office. Moldovan authorities’ plans to establish closer relations with NATO have been criticized in the unrecognized Transnistrian republic and the Gagauz autonomy.