A Five-Year Military-Technical Cooperation Agreement Signed With Ukraine in Kyiv Has Predictably Drawn Opposition Criticism.
The agreement was signed in Kyiv yesterday. Today, Moldova’s Party of Socialists (PSRM) issued a special statement condemning the deal as unconstitutional and demanding the publication of its full text.
“The Party of Socialists categorically condemns the signing in Kyiv of the ‘Agreement on Military-Technical Cooperation’ between Moldova and Ukraine. This move by the PAS regime is a direct betrayal of the Constitution and a blatant assault on the country’s permanent neutrality under Article 11 of the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova.
Military cooperation with a country involved in an armed conflict de facto drags Moldova into a foreign war. It turns our country into a frontline zone and a potential target. The authorities’ statements about ‘protecting the skies’ are merely a cynical cover for open militarisation and the fulfilment of foreign geopolitical agendas,” the Socialist Party said in its statement.
In response, government spokesperson Dumitru Chiorici called on the PSRM to “abandon its belligerent rhetoric and divisive language, which the party has been using for many years.”
This response invites a familiar saying: people in glass houses should not throw stones. When it comes to aggressive rhetoric and language that divides society, the article argues, PAS and its supporters have few equals in Moldova.
However, the Socialists’ concerns deserve scrutiny, the author argues. The agreement with Ukraine appears to cover much more than exchanging expertise and countering threats posed by drones, as Prime Minister Tofan has suggested.
According to the article, the agreement also includes provisions for repairing, maintaining and modernising Ukrainian military equipment in Moldova. It reportedly covers weapons assembly, including drones, as well as the preparation and training of military personnel.
Another provision has raised particular concern. It reportedly allows Ukrainian military personnel to be present in Moldova and take part in military operations on Moldova’s side if the country comes under attack.
What does this mean? The author questions whether the provision could create a legal framework for the future involvement of Ukrainian troops in a conflict with Transnistria.
Looking at the map, the article argues, it is difficult to identify another potential military flashpoint that would explain such a provision.
