Putin Ordered Kremlin to ‘Destroy NATO and EU From Within’ – NYT
Moldova is emerging as a key target in Russia’s reported strategy to undermine NATO and the EU, with Western intelligence warning that Vladimir Putin could seek control of the country after Ukraine. Its strategic location, Russian troops in Transnistria and energy vulnerabilities make Moldova a potential launchpad for wider Kremlin aggression.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly tasked his intelligence services and military with the goal of "destroying NATO and the EU from within" by 2026, with Moldova identified as a key target in the Kremlin's strategy, according to a New York Times report. The plan is being pursued on two fronts: testing NATO's commitment to defend its members and destabilizing Moldova.
US intelligence assesses that Russia may attempt to test NATO's resolve as early as this fall through limited attacks on alliance members, including possible cyberattacks, sabotage, operations by unidentified armed groups, or a limited incursion into a NATO country on the alliance's eastern flank. However, Moldova presents a different route for Russia to destabilize Europe.
Western intelligence officials tell the NYT that seizing Ukraine is still Putin's top priority, while establishing control over Moldova is considered second. Beyond political influence in Chisinau, Putin is believed to want to seize southern Ukraine and create a land corridor connecting Russia to Moldova, putting Moldova in a vulnerable position between Ukraine and NATO/EU territory.
With Russian-backed separatist Transnistria within Moldova, Moscow already has a military foothold near Ukraine and within striking distance of Moldova's capital, Chisinau. Control over Moldova could give Russia another platform for pressure on Ukraine while straining the EU and NATO's eastern flank. While an open invasion is not necessary, recent Russian actions have demonstrated how closely Moldova's infrastructure is tied to the war.
A strike on a Ukrainian hydroelectric plant in March led to an oil spill that polluted the Dniester River and disrupted water supplies in Moldova, and Russian drones struck a high-voltage line in western Ukraine that supplies Moldova with significant electricity. Moldova's shift towards the EU and political divisions exploited by Moscow have added to the pressure.
NATO member countries, including Poland and the Baltic states, are increasing security around critical infrastructure in anticipation of potential Russian actions, such as staged false-flag attacks using Ukrainian-made drones.
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