DISINFO: Moldova - "hostage" of the US military presence in Romania
SUMMARY
Moldova, as well as other countries in the neighborhood, is a “hostage” of the Pentagon and NATO. Positioning the American missile defense system in the Romanian town of Deveselu represents a direct threat to Russia, with foreseeable negative consequences for the security of Romania and its neighbors, including Moldova.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring conspiracy narrative about NATO's presence in Romania and its alleged negative impact on Moldova. It is also consistent with pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about the West's encirclement of Russia and an imperialistic US presence in Europe. Regarding the positioning of the missile defense system, the US previously affirmed that it is in compliance with the INF Treaty (which has now been annulled due to Russia's repeat violations). Read more about Romania-NATO cooperation here.
Cooperation between the Republic of Moldova and NATO is based on respect for Moldova’s constitutional neutrality. The main focus of this cooperation is to support the country’s efforts to reform and modernise its defence and security structures and institutions.
NATO is not a threat to Russia. NATO's official policy towards Russia was most recently articulated by the heads of state and government of the Alliance at the Warsaw Summit in July 2016. They stated that "the Alliance does not seek confrontation and poses no threat to Russia. But we cannot and will not compromise on the principles on which our Alliance and security in Europe and North America rest". NATO is not encircling Russia. Russia's land border is just over 20,000 kilometres long. Of that, less than one-sixteenth (1,215 kilometres), is shared with NATO members. Russia has land borders with 14 countries. Only five of them are NATO members.