Moldovan PM at UN Accuses Russia of Airspace Violations: “Repetition Does Not Make the Violation Acceptable”

Moldova’s Prime Minister Vasile Tofan on Saturday accused Russia of “repeated” violations of Moldovan airspace by drones, calling the situation “unacceptable” and warning against the normalization of such incidents.

“We must not get used to this. Repetition does not make the violation acceptable,” he said, addressing the UN General Assembly during its high-level week.

He said Moldova could not choose to have a war start next to it, referring to its border with Ukraine, but it could choose how to respond.

“We welcomed people fleeing the war. We kept transport routes open. We lowered the cost of rail transit for Ukrainian grain goods,” he said, adding that “these decisions were not always cost-free or politically easy at home.”

Speaking about Moldova’s integration into the European Union, Tofan said EU accession negotiations are underway after the country was granted candidate status in 2022.

“Joining the European Union is not about replacing one sphere of influence with another,” Tofan said, alluding to Moldova’s past as a Soviet republic.

“It is our citizens who are exercising their right to choose, to choose democracy, to choose prosperity, to choose peace,” he said.

He said Moldova’s European path goes hand in hand with its partnership with the United States, particularly on security, energy independence and resilience.