‘Peace Is What We Need, Strength Is What Putin Understands’: Moldova’s Top Diplomat

Moldova’s top diplomat Mihai Popșoi and Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu arrived at the US State Department Wednesday morning for talks with senior officials on current challenges facing the region and other key topics, Kyiv Post’s Washington correspondent reports.

The closed-door meeting will also focus on Moldova’s security, its European path, and progress in key areas – including energy independence, cybersecurity, border control, etc, officials in Washington told Kyiv Post.

Sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, the landlocked eastern European country has lately become a test bed for Russian hybrid warfare tactics, enhancing its resilience and sharing information with partners.

Moldova has also become a critical hub for thousands of Ukrainian refugees, and has been positioning itself for reconstruction efforts in Ukraine.

Speaking before an audience at the Atlantic Council, a Washington think-tank, Tuesday afternoon, Popșoi commented on the US President Donald Trump administration’s “peace through strength” agenda, emphasizing the need for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

“Peace is what all of us need, and strength is what Putin understands,” he said, adding that his country’s stability is intertwined with Ukraine’s.

Popșoi also added that Moldova admires Ukraine’s courage and resilience, and believes that recent discussions in Jeddah and elsewhere have been encouraging steps towards peace, benefiting the region.

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“Any support Ukraine gets, it’s also support for the Republic of Moldova, because Ukraine has been defending us as much as they’ve been defending themselves,” Popsoi said.