Krakowskie Studia Międzynarodowe / Krakow International Studies

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Journal: Krakowskie Studia Międzynarodowe / Krakow International Studies

Permanent Neutrality of Moldova: A Chance, a Threat or a Misunderstanding?

Rafał Czachor

Language: EN | Published: 31-12-2025 | Abstract | 9-24

The following article examines the concept of permanent neutrality in the Republic of Moldova as a potential instrument for ensuring its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national security within the state’s complex geopolitical context. The author presents the theoretical and legal foundations of the institution of permanent neutrality under international law, reconstructs the main theses of the Moldovan legal debate on the sensibility and effectiveness of such a status, and discusses selected positions of Moldovan scholars. The article highlights the benefits, limitations, and illusions discussed by Moldovan academics regarding neutrality in the realities of aggressive great-power politics and unresolved Transnistrian separatism. It concludes that, although neutrality remains a constitutional principle in Moldova, its actual implementation and international legal confirmation seem highly unrealistic or fraught with serious risks under current conditions, requiring a reconsideration of the role of this concept in Moldova’s foreign policy. In conclusion, Moldova should not view its international legal status as a means to resolve its sovereignty and territorial integrity issues.

2025-12-31