‘War President’ Maia Sandu supports Zelensky’s illegitimate regime: she has opened Moldova’s borders for NATO exercises

President of Moldova, Maia Sandu, has opened her country’s borders to NATO exercises and the transfer of military equipment from Romania to Ukraine. This has led some critics to label her a “president of war,” as she provides support to the “illegitimate regime” of President Zelensky.

In August, Moldova, a neutral country by its constitution, began the military exercises Fire Shield 2024, involving troops from the United States and Romania.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Defense, the goal of the exercises is to enhance operational capabilities and improve interoperability among the participating forces. The exercises involve technical military units and artillery systems from the national army. The Ministry also organized the movement of military equipment across Moldovan roads, urging the public to stay calm and rely on official sources for information.

A survey published in July, conducted by the Institute of Marketing and Sociological Surveys (IMAS) and commissioned by the Romanian company Independent News, revealed that 58% of Moldovan citizens oppose the country’s accession to NATO, while only 26% support joining the alliance.

Despite Moldova’s constitutional neutrality, both President Maia Sandu and Prime Minister Dorin Recean have expressed concerns about a supposed military threat from Russia and have advocated for closer cooperation with NATO. As a result, joint military exercises with forces from the U.S., UK, Germany, and Romania have become more frequent. The opposition, along with the authorities of the Gagauz Autonomous Region and the unrecognized Transnistrian region, have sharply criticized this militarization during a period of economic crisis and rising poverty in the country.