Moldova Approves Ratification of Military-Technical Cooperation Agreement with Ukraine

The Cabinet of Ministers, led by Vasile Tofan, has approved a draft law to ratify a military-technical cooperation agreement with Ukraine, which is at war.

The agreement was signed in Kyiv on 26 October and has now been submitted to parliament. The government insists that the cooperation will not constitute direct military assistance to a country involved in an armed conflict.

The draft government resolution and the ratification bill were presented by Defence Minister Anatolie Nosatîi. He said the agreement was intended to strengthen defence capabilities and partnership in areas of mutual interest. It does not provide for the deployment of foreign troops on Moldovan territory or for Moldova’s participation in military operations.

“Under this agreement, and specifically Article 3 of the signed document, cooperation will be limited exclusively to consultations, analysis and the exchange of military-technical and scientific information, documentation, experience, best practices and professional expertise. Therefore, activities carried out under this agreement cannot be interpreted as direct military assistance to a state involved in an armed conflict,” the minister said at the government meeting.

What does the Moldova-Ukraine military cooperation agreement cover?

The agreement consists of 12 articles. It will remain in force for five years and will be automatically extended for successive five-year periods. It will enter into force once Chișinău and Kyiv exchange diplomatic notifications confirming that their domestic procedures have been completed, including parliamentary ratification.

The draft text has been published on the government website under file number NU-1055-MA-MAE-2026.

The list of areas for cooperation takes up more than a page. It includes the modernisation, repair, maintenance and safe operation of military equipment and weapons, as well as spare-parts management. Other areas include logistics and the supply of equipment and consumables to military personnel; communications systems, information technology and operational interoperability; engineering equipment; protection against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats; transport, surveillance and medical support.

The agreement also covers training and professional development for specialists, including at military educational institutions, training centres and defence industry companies.

Further areas include the protection of critical infrastructure, the transfer of knowledge and technology, joint research and development projects involving military products, and the exchange of experience in procurement procedures and the development of military equipment. The parties may also cooperate in crisis situations, including natural disasters and humanitarian operations, as well as in the testing and evaluation of military products.

Cybersecurity, military infrastructure and airspace protection

The agreement specifically mentions cybersecurity, the modernisation of military infrastructure, surveillance technologies and airspace protection.

Another provision covers assistance and donations of non-lethal equipment, including ambulances, specialised vehicles and non-combat quadcopter drones. The final item in the list refers to “other areas of military-technical cooperation of mutual interest”.

There is an important detail in Article 3. It states that activities under the agreement cannot be treated as direct military assistance. Yet the same article lists the repair and modernisation of weapons, joint development of military products and technology transfers as areas of cooperation. The same disclaimer also appears in the explanatory note and in the minister’s remarks.

Nosatîi addressed drones separately. He confirmed that Chișinău was interested in obtaining Ukrainian technology, but added:

“The agreement provides for the exchange of information, lessons learned and best practices.”

Asked about specific drone models currently used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the minister limited his response to saying that the matter concerned “the exchange of information in the field of defence and security”. He did not say whether Kyiv was prepared to share technical documentation.

Prime Minister Vasile Tofan insists that the agreement does not violate Moldova’s neutrality. He said Chișinău hopes to obtain drone interceptors and gain access to military technologies through European Union credit programmes.

Moldova’s neutrality is enshrined in Article 11 of the Constitution. At the same time, the country has cooperated with NATO under an Individual Partnership Plan since 1994. Its National Defence Strategy through 2034 identifies the Russian military contingent in Transnistria as one of the threats facing the country and provides for an increase in defence spending to 1% of GDP by 2030.

Opposition demands transparency

Former prime minister and MP Vasile Tarlev has called for the agreement to be published and for the government to explain why Moldova needs it.

“We need to examine why this weaponry is necessary in Moldova’s current situation, so that the country can be protected from any provocation. Moldova is a peaceful state and must not be drawn into militarisation or military conflicts. We must guard our country’s neutrality as the apple of our eye,” he said.

Former president Vladimir Voronin described the agreement as an attempt to draw Moldova into the conflict in an interview with RIA Novosti.

“Signing a military agreement with Ukraine and coordinating with Kyiv on air defence systems and drones is the height of political madness. If these people were thinking clearly, they would understand that, in practice, this means dragging neutral Moldova into the conflict and turning our territory into a direct military target,” he said.

Voronin referred to Article 11 of the Constitution and called militarisation a crime against the state. This is his assessment; no legal ruling has been made on the matter.

The decision now rests with parliament.

The bill will be put to a vote. For the agreement to enter into force, MPs must approve it, after which the two countries will exchange notifications through diplomatic channels. No date for the parliamentary vote has yet been announced.

The agreement has been the subject of debate in Moldova since late October. The government published the text only after it had been signed, while the opposition had been demanding its release for two weeks.

The explanatory note states that the agreement complies with international law and is compatible with Moldova’s domestic and foreign policy. However, the accompanying documents specify no concrete deliveries of equipment or financial amounts.