CHISINAU, July 21. /TASS/. Exercise Fire Shield - 2025 involving two NATO members - the US and Romania - will take place in Moldova from August 4 to 18, the Moldovan Defense Ministry said.
"From August 4 to 18 this year, the National Army training centers will host the annual exercise Fire Shield - 2025. It is a tradition that since 2015 Fire Shield exercises have provided Moldovan servicemen with the opportunity to train together with their Romanian and American counterparts," the ministry said in a statement.
People were warned that military vehicles would be traveling on the roads during the exercise.
By constitution Moldova is a neutral country, but it has been cooperating with NATO since 1994. Moldovan President Maia Sandu previously said that the country, in the context of the Ukrainian crisis, could abandon neutrality and join NATO, even though polls show most people oppose the idea. She called for a media campaign to highlight the advantages of NATO membership.
Moldova has approved a program of transition to NATO standards and adopted a new national security strategy that identifies Russia as the country’s main threat. Despite the economic crisis, the government bumped up military spending and began re-equipping its armed forces with the support of the US, EU and NATO. These steps caused concern among the Transnistrian leadership, as well as criticism from the opposition.