GENEVA, July 19. /TASS/. Efforts by the leaders of NATO and the European Union to militarize Moldova make it clear that they fear Kiev will soon lose control of its part of the Black Sea coast, Ralph Bosshard, a retired Swiss lieutenant colonel and former military adviser to the OSCE secretary general, told TASS.

"Using Moldova as a bridgehead against Russia would make sense only if Brussels believes that southern Ukraine is no longer capable of playing this role," the expert noted. In his view, the US and NATO seem to have come to the conclusion that the Ukrainian authorities are unable to retain control of the Yedisan and Budzhak areas near the city of Odessa, which "will go to Russia sooner or later."

Earlier, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said that the country could abandon neutrality enshrined in its constitution and join NATO. Moldova has approved a program to adopt NATO standards, as well as a new national security strategy, which sees Russia as the main security threat.

On July 14, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Agency (SVR) stated that NATO was making active preparations to use Moldova as a battering ram in a potential armed conflict with Moscow. Brussels has made a decision to accelerate the country’s transformation into "the alliance’s bridgehead on its eastern flanks, given the advance of Russian forces in Ukraine.".