VIDEO // Moldovan foreign affairs minister says Moldova made its choice, joined Ukraine

Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister Mihai Popsoi has praised the role of the Ukrainian diplomacy in mobilizing international support for Ukraine and reaffirmed Moldova’s solidarity with the Ukrainian people, during the annual Meeting of the Heads of Ukraine’s Diplomatic Missions. In his speech, delivered in Ukrainian, the Moldovan diplomacy head condemned the war launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and emphasized that the resilience of the Ukrainian people helps protect the whole of Europe, including Moldova.

“It is a great honor for me to address you today, those who represent Ukraine around the world. You are diplomats, but in recent years you have become much more than that. You have become the voice of justice, defenders of truth and guardians of hope. Every capital where you serve has become a new front in Ukraine’s struggle for freedom. Allow me to begin with the simplest word: thank you. I thank you not only for what you have done for Ukraine, but also for what you have done for Moldova,” said Mihai Popsoi.

The Moldovan foreign minister condemned the war launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and noted that the resistance of the Ukrainian people contributes to the protection of the whole of Europe, including Moldova.

“Moldova has made its choice. We have joined Ukraine. And Ukraine, thanks to the incredible courage of its people and the unwavering resilience of its armed forces, has defended much more than its own borders. Every Ukrainian soldier defending Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and the Donetsk region is not only defending his own state, but also defending the peace of all Europe. And yes, they are also defending peace in Moldova. Our children sleep peacefully, because the children, soldiers, doctors, rescuers and ordinary citizens of Ukraine have gone through horrors that no nation should ever endure. This is a debt that no neighbor can ever fully repay. But true friendship is not measured in debts. It is measured by whether we come to help when help is needed most,” the Moldovan deputy prime minister stated.

Mihai Popsoi recalled the support offered by Moldova to Ukrainian citizens who took refuge following the Russian invasion, noting that the country opened its borders, homes and communities to people who had fled the war. At the same time, he reaffirmed Moldova’s support for Ukraine in international organizations and advocated respect for international law and the accountability of those responsible for the crimes committed during the war.

“We have supported all efforts aimed at defending international law. And we are firmly convinced that there can be no lasting peace without justice and accountability. The crime of aggression cannot become just another page of history that the world silently turns. Aggression must never become normal. Impunity must never become acceptable. Justice does not mean revenge. Justice is the foundation of peace. That is precisely why Moldova supports international efforts to hold accountable those responsible for the crime of aggression, as well as for every crime and every atrocity committed during this war,” Mihai Popsoi emphasized.

Referring to the European path of the two states, the minister underlined that the European future of Moldova and Ukraine is a shared objective. Mihai Popsoi  expressed hope that future gatherings of Ukrainian diplomats would not be dedicated to mobilizing support for a country at war, but to celebrating a peaceful and prosperous Ukraine.

“The future of Europe increasingly resembles such a rushnyk. Ukraine and Moldova are weaving their own threads into it. Not from silk, but from sacrifice, resilience and unwavering faith. Our European future is no longer an abstract dream. It is our common project, our shared responsibility and our common goal. And one day we will celebrate together. Not because Europe has given us a gift, but because our citizens have earned their place through courage, reforms and unshakable determination,” Popsoi said.

The event, in which Mihai Popsoi took part as an invited guest, was opened by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk and Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha.