US delivers military aid to Moldova
The U.S. has delivered military aid to Moldova as part of the modernization process of the Moldovan military, the U.S. Embassy in Moldova and the country's Defense Ministry announced on Aug. 1.
"Today marks the delivery of donated military equipment from the United States to the Moldovan National Army," the embassy said in its statement.
"Over the last 31 years, the United States government via United States European Command provided over $123 million in military assistance, training, and education and over $36 million in humanitarian assistance at the request of the current and previous Moldovan governments."
According to the embassy, the U.S. agreed with Moldova on regular defense aid in 2019 and the latest package is part of these routine deliveries.
The Moldovan Defense Ministry said that the package comes as part of the efforts to modernize the Moldovan military and increase the country's defense capabilities.
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine exacerbated worries among the pro-Western government in Chisinau regarding the Russian threat. Moldova's region Transnistria has remained under Russian occupation since the Transnistrian War in 1990-1992.
The country's President Maia Sandu warned in February that Moscow was planning a coup to oust the current leadership. On May 8, Leonid Manakov, who represents Transnistria in Moscow, requested more Russian "peacekeepers" to be deployed in the region due to the "deteriorating security situation."
Moldova has also more recently expelled a number of Russian diplomats and embassy staff in late July shortly after a media investigation revealed that the Russian embassy in Chisinau hosts devices for gathering intelligence.
Martin Fornusek
