British Minister: Moldova should be equipped according to NATO standard, Putin was clear with ambitions to create a bigger Russia
Moldova should be “equipped according to NATO standards” to help protect against the threat of a Russian invasion, British Foreign Minister Liz Truss was quoted as saying. BBC.
Liz Truss told the Telegraph that talks were underway with allies on how to help smaller nations defend themselves.
She said it was clear that despite his limited success in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin had kept his “ambitions to create a bigger Russia”.
Moldova is located on the southwestern border of Ukraine, has no border with Russia, but is close to some of the regions currently occupied by Russian forces in southern Ukraine.
Moldova is not a NATO member, although it has applied to join the European Union less than two weeks after invading Ukraine.
The British foreign minister said talks on strengthening Ukraine’s defense to deter future aggression would cover “other vulnerable states, such as Moldova.”
“I would like to see Moldova equipped according to the NATO standard,” she said. “This is a discussion we have with our allies.”
Asked if this is a consequence of the fact that Russia is believed to be a threat to Moldova’s security, she replied: “Absolutely. That is, Putin was clear about his ambitions to create a bigger Russia. Just because his attempts to take Kiev were unsuccessful does not mean that he has abandoned those ambitions. “
The comments come a few weeks after a speech in which Liz Truss said the West “must be prepared for long-term war and double support” for Ukraine.
In a speech in London, she said: “If Putin succeeds, there will be indescribable suffering throughout Europe and terrible consequences around the globe. We would never feel safe again. “
Truss also called for an increase in UK defense spending and said NATO’s 2% of GDP target should not be a ceiling.
Editor: GM