EU to deploy mission to Moldova: The flame in the east is flickering out. As the war theatrics in Ukraine appear to be fading, a new tussle and a new drama are growing roots in Europe. Europe has shifted its attention to Moldova. The EU has announced plans to deploy a civilian mission to Moldova. The union says the next step is to help the Eastern European nation, a beacon of hope in a sea of uncertainty. But, don’t we all know the reality?
EU to deploy mission to Moldova
There have been accusations that the Kremlin is seeking to destabilize the former Soviet Republic. And this has snatched the living daylights out of the EU. The EU has announced sending a civilian mission to Moldova. In a statement made on Monday, the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said the mission would increase “support to Moldova [to] protect its security, territorial integrity, and sovereignty” against Russia under the Common Security and Defence Policy.
According to officials, the mission will focus on “crisis management and hybrid threats, including cybersecurity, as well as countering foreign information manipulation and interference.”
In February, President of war-torn Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky made statements condemning Russia, saying Kyiv’s security services had intercepted Russian plans to “break the democracy of Moldova and establish control over Moldova.” Later on, Moldova’s pro-EU leader, President Maia Sandu, alleged that “the plan included sabotage and militarily trained people disguised as civilians to carry out violent actions, attacks on government buildings, and taking hostages.”
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EU to deploy mission to Moldova: The Visible Shift
Moldova was for decades one of the closest allies of Moscow, and if sources are to be believed, around 1,500 troops are stationed in the breakaway region of Transnistria.
The Moldovan President, apart from condemning Russia’s act of invasion in Ukraine, Sandu has repeatedly called for the withdrawal of its forces from her country. It is no secret that the EU has been perturbed by Moldova ever becoming a part of Russia in the future, and hence, in June last year, the commission even announced granting the country candidate status.
Meanwhile, Moldova, in a recent move, made a constitutional amendment replacing the “Moldovan language” with the “Romanian language” as the official national language. This was not seen as a good sign for an already bruised NATO. You may wonder why? Romania is a pragmatic nation that won’t hesitate to switch its alliance with Russia. Moreover, there have been talks of Moldova’s unification with Romania recently, which has led to the mind of the EU going into tumult like a tempest-tossed sea.
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And therefore, now here comes the announcement. The announcement of the EU deploying a mission on Moldovan soil in a bid to secure the nation’s interests Yet, as one flame begins to flicker out, another seems to take root in Europe. A new tussle, a new tension, a new drama.
So, as we watch the war theatrics in Ukraine wane and a new tussle within Europe grow roots, the tussle over seizing the territory of Moldova between Russia and Europe. Let’s sit with bated breath to see who wins the game.
