MOSCOW, June 8. /TASS/. Russia is aware that since the beginning of its military operation in Ukraine Moldova has been aggressively pushed towards tighter cooperation with NATO, which cannot but cause concern, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news briefing on Wednesday.
Zakharova is certain that the efforts to beef up Moldova’s military potential with NATO hardware will by no means contribute to its neutrality.
"Since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, we have been able to see that Moldova is being pushed towards more aggressive and active cooperation with NATO. True, taking care of one’s own security is a sovereign right and an internal affair of any country, but it is very unlikely that the flow of NATO weapons into Moldova will meet this goal or correspond to the country’s neutrality," she said.
Zakharova recalled that the West had been speculating about military-technical assistance to Chisinau since the very beginning of Russia’s special operation in Ukraine, adding that such rhetoric was lauded by certain forces inside Moldova.
While commenting on reports the Moldovan government had initiated an amendment to the law on the border that would reserve the possibility of inviting foreign representatives to participate in its protection, as well as the creation of a legal framework for the operation of the European agency Frontex’s mission in Moldova, Zakharova remarked that Russia would monitor this activity.
"According to media reports, there are plans for reserving an opportunity to involve foreign representatives in protecting Moldova’s border and establishing a legal framework for the operation of a mission of the EU border and coast guard agency Frontex for assisting Chisinau in managing the flow of Ukrainian refugees. It is to be hoped that there is nothing else between the lines. We will closely monitor what this agency will be doing in Moldova," she added.