US troops in Moldova in emerging Plan B for Ukraine

Big trouble may be brewing in little Moldova, which is starting to look like a staging area for the European Union to offset an emerging Russian victory in Ukraine. Whether such a plan, if attempted, would succeed is not clear. But Moldova is not the most stable country in the world with the nation split between pro-EU and pro-Russian elements.

US troops are now in Moldova with Romanians, ostensibly for a military exercise called JCET 2024 (Joint Command Exchange Training). The exercise started on April 1 and will continue until April 19.

According to a Moldovan Ministry of Defense statement, “The aim of the exercise is joint training and exchange of experience between Moldovan, Romanian and American special forces, as well as to increase the level of interoperability between the participating contingents. This year’s event will also be attended by representatives of the [Moldovan] State Protection and Security Service and the Pantera Special Forces.”

These exercises are not new but they taken on new urgency now because of the developing situation in neighboring Ukraine.

The US sponsors what it calls the Moldova-US Strategic Dialogue in Chisinau, Moldova’s capital. The dialogue focuses on areas of

The United States has made nearly US$320 million available in new economic, security, and humanitarian assistance to help Moldova. This assistance includes $30 million in non-reimbursable budget support disbursed in December 2022 for electricity purchases. According to the US State Department:

The purpose of the State Protection and Security Service, which is separate from the Moldovan army, is to protect high government officials.

Officially, Moldova is supposed to be a neutral country. There is talk of changing its