The Republic of Moldova is a neutral and peaceful country that does not intend to encroach upon the sovereignty of another country. But its defense sector is rather weak and should be strengthened, President Maia Sandu told the press after British foreign secretary Liz Truss said the UK wants Moldova to be supplied with modern weaponry, IPN reports.

President Sandu said that she didn’t have concrete discussions on the issue, but saw the relevant press reports. “You know that we receive assistance through the Partnership for Peace and in the discussions with the Army, we will see if there are other needs that we can satisfy through the agency of this assistance,” stated Maia Sandu.

British Foreign Minister Liz Truss said that the UK had begun discussions with its international allies about sending modern weaponry to Moldova to protect it from Russia. She noted she wants to see the country “equipped to NATO standard.”

As a result, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration said the Republic of Moldova’s cooperation with NATO is governed by the Partnership for Peace, with the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) being the main instrument of this cooperation. One of the key elements of this partnership is to make sure the involved players obey the principle of constitutional neutrality of Moldova.