Congestion in the Evros Canal

Moldova’s pro-European President Maia Sandu sacked Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilica and replaced her with the then head of the secret services, Doreen Resen. The political earthquake was followed by demonstrations by thousands of Moldovans against punctuality. AP Photo/Uriel Obreja

As the clouds of war begin to gather over the Carpathians, the port channel of Alexandroupoli begins to rise. The passage of NATO supply convoys to and from the hotspot in war-torn Ukraine is expected to be the largest in recent years. Serious instability in Moldova leads to an escalation of Alexandroupoli’s military role. “There will be from mid-March to the end of August an unprecedented movement in terms of military supplies to the coalition forces on the western shores of the Black Sea and above, at a time when the clouds of war are gathering. He said to a K source who monitors the NATO “rotation”. He crossed Alexandroupolis in southeastern Europe after the Russian invasion of Ukraine “on the border of Romania”.

US Deputy Secretary of Defense Celeste Wallander, who accompanied Anthony Blinken on his tour of the eastern Mediterranean, flew to Alexandroupolis on Monday. The US Secretary, accompanied by her counterpart, Nikos Hardalia, the President of Getha Konstantinos Floros and her country’s ambassador to Athens, George Tsonis, visited the headquarters of the 12th Division as well as the port buildings, where she was informed by her chief. Konstantinos Hatsemicl on upcoming crossovers.

Under other circumstances, the transfer of supply convoys would be a “routine” procedure, in the context of the military exercises constantly taking place on the Axis from Bulgaria and Romania to Slovakia and Poland. Now, however, a new criterion has been added to the dangerous equation of the Ukrainian conflict, that of the looming destabilization in Moldova, whose leadership directly blames Moscow.

NATO does not have troops deployed in Moldova, as doing so would be seen as a provocation by Russia and likely to escalate the conflict. But he was watching it from neighboring Romania, where he was ready to step in a well-equipped multinational “battle formation” of no less than 7,000 men, under the French commander Tricand de la Jute, a force largely supplied through Alexandroupolis.

The developments of the past few days in Moldova, which has only recently acquired candidate status for EU membership. In an effort to reinforce its pro-Western orientation, it has put Westerners on alert. The pro-European president of the country of 2,700,000 people, Maja Sandu, sacked Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilica, declaring that “the time has come for her to leave because of the multiple crises caused by Russian aggression in Ukraine” and appointed her former prime minister. Secret Service Chief Doreen Richen. There were previous statements by officials in the security authorities about Russia and Putin himself trying to destabilize the country and overthrow the government, while there were related statements by Volodymyr Zelensky, who even spoke of an imminent Russian military offensive. in Moldova. The political earthquake was followed by demonstrations by thousands of Moldovans, who suddenly took to the streets of the capital, Chişinău, to protest precisely – according to the government, they came at the instigation of the powerful pro-Russian party. Moldova is a poor country, politically divided between pro-Russian and pro-Western, and enjoys a strategic location in the scenarios related to the war in Ukraine, as indicated by the Italian newspaper Il Tempo, as part of it, where the Russians overwhelmingly dominate the territory of Transnistria, and they have de facto separated and hosted on its territory A strong Russian military force with missiles and heavy weapons. Since in his first statements the new Moldovan prime minister raised the issue of withdrawing Russian troops from Transnistria, the Kremlin’s reaction was immediate and harsh. Through his representative, Dmitry Peskov, he demanded that the Moldovan authorities “be careful about the presence of Russian troops in Transnistria” and called relations between the two sides “extremely tense”, accusing the Chisinau leadership of cultivating “anti-Russian”. hysteria” in the population.

The alliance has sounded the alarm about Moscow’s instability in Moldova.

In such an unstable environment and with alarming signs of transition, due to the destabilization of Moldova, the level of tension is raised towards the south and the army, and not only, the importance of the port of Alexandroupoli.

In addition to military designs, preparations have already begun on its infrastructure and use in the reconstruction of post-war Ukraine. Everyone agrees that the Alexandroupoli Canal is intended to be a major artery for transporting materials and all kinds of goods to and from the devastated Ukraine, which is why the rapid modernization of the railway linking it with road networks and ports to the north (Constantia, Varna, Burgas, the mouth of the Danube, etc.) is being attempted. Baltic).

In the next few days, NATO military exercises will begin in Romania and Bulgaria, headed by “Atlantic Resolve 23” and “Defender Europe 23”, and the “barrels” of weapons will head northeast towards the Nile River Delta. Pruth River, where he goes to light another bonfire. Refueling for both exercises will take place via Alexandroupolis.

Greece in Chisinau

Officials such as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and others recently traveled to Chisinau to reaffirm EU support. And the United States in the western direction of Moldova. The trip of President Katerina Sakellaropoulou to Chişinău in the three-day period from February 28 to March 2 is part of this context, where she will speak at Chişinău University and hold meetings with members of the small Greek minority there.