Moldova prepared to defend itself after map shows former Soviet republic as possible next Russian target
Moldova is prepared to defend itself against a "very worst-case scenario," Ambassador Eugen Caras says
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Moldovan ambassador to the U.S. said Wednesday his country is prepared to defend its borders if Russia or Belarus were to invade the former Soviet republic.
"The country is prepared [for] any kind of scenarios, including the very worst-case scenario," Ambassador Eugen Caras told Fox News in an exclusive interview. "So we will be defending what's to be defended."
A day earlier, video surfaced showing Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko standing in front of a map that appeared to indicate the Moldovan breakaway state of Transnistria as a potential next target.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Refugees fleeing war in Ukraine arrive to Palanca, Moldova, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Associated Press)
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Lukashenko is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest ally in the region. Belarus was instrumental in the lead-up to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
‘Mistake’ on the map?
Caras said the Belarusians told Moldovan officials that the placement of Moldova on the map was a "mistake."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A deputy-level foreign minister summoned the Belarusian ambassador to Moldova to the Foreign Ministry and was asked for clarity, according to Caras.
"From what I understand, the ambassador said that there was a mistake on behalf of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus," Caras told Fox News.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Caras said Moldova is not in a state of panic, though the country is worried about a potential threat.
Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to the head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin during their meeting in Moscow. (Associated Press)
"We are very concerned with this situation. We condemn this," Caras, who assumed his post in 2020, told Fox News. "One cannot be sure 100% of the next phase. Will we be targeted or not? As of today, it seems that we are not a target."
"But what happens in a week's time? I cannot predict," Caras continued. "We are very vigilant. We are very concerned."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Caras said the Moldovan defense forces were "prepared" and that there was not an "imminent threat" of invasion.
Belarus joined Russia, Eritrea, North Korea and Syria in opposing a United Nations resolution on Wednesday condemning the Russian invasion.
NATO membership?
Moldova, which has a neutrality provision written into its constitution, hasn’t sought NATO membership, but Caras told Fox News the war in Ukraine could change that.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Eugen Caras, Moldova's ambassador to the United States, speaks with Fox News Digital.
"I wouldn't rule out that this could shape the perception in the people's mind of the security situation or the security needs and the requirements in the future," Caras said.
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He said Moldova has been accepting Ukrainian refugees since Russia invaded a week ago.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We have new and new refugees crossing into Moldova," he told Fox News. "The latest figures are around 114,000 people crossing into Moldova since the war broke out."
"Some of them, they use Moldova as a transit country, and they go on to the rest of Europe," Caras continued. "But roughly … 55,000 people [are] staying in Moldova."