Speculation is rampant that if Vladimir Putin prevails in his shabby war with Ukraine, his next targets will be the small Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Like Ukraine, these three nations were parts of the Russian-dominated Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, which was dissolved by Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991.
Unlike Ukraine, however, these democracies are members of both the European Union and NATO. Any armed violation of their territories would entail war with the United States and the other major western powers, as guaranteed by treaty.
But not so with Moldova. Like the Baltic states, this small nation was one of the 15 constituent republics of the USSR. Like Ukraine, however, it is not treaty-bound with the EU or NATO, and more likely would whet Putin’s appetite.
Moldova shares its entire eastern border with Ukraine, and this boundary is bereft of major geographical hurdles such as mountain ranges or large bodies of water. In terms of both land area and population, the country is less than one-tenth the size of Ukraine.
To its tremendous credit, Ukraine has defended itself against Russian treachery with valor and persistence. But Moldova would simply be too small to offer much resistance.
Particularly in time of war, statecraft often demands the selection of the least unpalatable of alternatives. The current American and NATO policy, limited to arming Ukraine and squeezing Russia hard economically, is the most advisable and must be maintained to the hilt.
Were this policy to fail, Ukraine would be imprisoned in the dungeon of a Russian-dominated dictatorship with Moldova sure to follow. The lunatic Putin might then be tempted to hit the Baltics.
War between the Western powers and Russia could go nuclear. The potential here for danger and destruction would be beyond all prior human experience.
It is said that there are no atheists in foxholes. There certainly aren’t.
Joseph Tipler,
Centralia
