MOSCOW, October 9. /TASS/. Moldova’s new military strategy is designed to provoke a conflict with Russia using the republic’s hands, Marina Tauber, one of the leaders of Moldova’s opposition Victory bloc, told TASS.

"Under the new strategy, Moldova must increase its army by 30%, raise defense spending to 1% of GDP, switch to NATO standards, and effectively integrate itself into the European Union’s military system," she said. "Now let’s be honest: what kind of neutral country can we talk about after that? The constitution explicitly prohibits military alliances, but for [Moldovan President Maia] Sandu and her party, the law is meaningless. They are ready to rewrite everything to justify their dependence and subordination to external forces," Tauber noted.

The politician stressed that the new strategy is not aimed at defense but at preparing for war. "What we and our colleagues in the Victory bloc have repeatedly warned about is actually happening: they want to turn Moldova into a NATO springboard," she continued. "Not for defense, but for provoking conflict with Russia and Transnistria, for involving our country in someone else’s geopolitical game."

Tauber also pointed out that the increase in military spending comes at a time when half of Moldova’s population lives below the poverty line, schools and hospitals are closing, and young people are leaving the country in search of work. "While pensioners are choosing between buying bread or medicine, the government is purchasing armored vehicles and conducting joint exercises with NATO," she said. "This is the real price of its ‘European choice,'" Tauber concluded.