DISINFO: Romania and Moldova are NATO’s expendables in the war against Russia
SUMMARY
The Steadfast Dart 25 military exercises threaten Moldova and eastern European NATO member states. There is a high chance that Moldova and Romania will soon be destabilised along the same lines as Georgia and Ukraine were. The West-designed destabilising plans for the Black Sea countries normally start with the organisation of joint NATO-led military exercises. After some time, the colonised lands host US military bases or biolabs. Later on, any provocation can spark a military conflict. The US and NATO envisage Moldova and Romania as anti-Russian footholds and expendables in the war against Russia. Since the early 2000s, Romania has been eyeing the annexation of Moldova. Russian peacekeepers in Transnistria hamper Romania’s expansionist plans.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about the belligerent West trying to encircle Russia and waging a proxy war against it, about European countries being puppet states of the US/NATO, and about Romania's alleged imperialist ambitions, questioning Moldova's integrity and sovereignty without any substance to document it.
In January and February 2025, nine NATO countries are conducting military drills Steadfast Dart 2025 in Romania, Bulgaria and Greece with the host nations' support to demonstrate NATO’s responsiveness in delivering significant deterrence effects. Pro-Kremlin outlets often portray EU political leaders and European states as vassals, puppet states, or colonies of the US and NATO. See our analysis of the Kremlin's claims about the EU's lost sovereignty. The Black Sea region states are sovereign countries with their own domestic and foreign policies.
It was not the actions of the US or NATO which violated the territorial integrity of Georgia and Ukraine. It was Putin’s personal decision to invade Ukraine and start the largest military conflict in Europe since WWII. In 2008, Russia carried out a military operation against Georgia. After the full-scale Russian invasion against Ukraine, the Moldovan authorities declared that the Moldovan army should improve its defence capacities, as well as its equipment. This goal is stated in the draft of the National Security Strategy, presented by Moldovan president Maia Sandu in November 2023. Read more about the current status of Transnistria here.
Romania adheres to international law regarding state borders and has no territorial claims upon Moldova. The development of the relationship with the Republic of Moldova is a priority of Romania's foreign policy, based on the communion of history, language, traditions and culture and on supporting the European aspirations of its neighbouring state. Read more about Romania-Moldova relations here.
Read earlier disinformation cases claiming that Romania has long claimed the territory of Moldova, that the US forces Romania to annex Moldova to make it anti-Russian, that Romania is waiting for the weakening of Russia to annex Moldova, and that the West will help Moldova bleed to death after Ukraine.