Moldova Security Forum 2026 // U.S. Ambassador to Chisinau says decisions taken today to define decades to come

Newly appointed United States Ambassador to Moldova Joseph Mark Burkhalter, who has recently begun his assignment in Chisinau, called for stronger cooperation between Moldova, the United States and European partners, in order to address security challenges. The diplomat reaffirmed Washington’s support for Moldova’s democracy, independence and sovereignty, including the protection of its airspace and the strengthening of defense institutions and energy security.

Joseph Mark Burkhalter said that, although he had been in the Republic of Moldova for only a few weeks, he quickly understood the importance of the challenges facing the country.

“The increasing number of cases involving unauthorized drone overflights, cyberattacks and attempts at electoral interference—all of these are unacceptable for any nation, and they are unacceptable to the United States as well. I want to tell you one thing very clearly on behalf of the United States: the United States supports the democracy, independence and territorial sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova, and let me explain how we define territorial sovereignty, just as the Republic of Moldova defines it. It is not only about the land; it is also about what is above the land—the airspace. We take this matter seriously,” the ambassador said.

The ambassador noted that, since Moldova had declared independence, the United States supported the strengthening of the country’s institutions, including in the areas of defense, energy and cybersecurity, critical infrastructure and border security. The diplomat also mentioned the Freedom Line initiative promoted by the administration of President Donald Trump, through which the United States seeks to continue supporting Moldova’s energy independence.

“Why do we do this? Because you have an important place in world history, and this is also an important moment in world history. When we have needs or challenges, we must run from one friend to another, and I want to say that the United States always runs toward its friends when they have a need or face a challenge,” the ambassador said.

“Some people said that the United States had forgotten Moldova, because we had not had an ambassador here for two and a half years, but we had a chargé d’affaires, an extremely talented person in the diplomatic history of the United States, and she did an excellent job. But let me tell you something openly: for the first time in the history of our relations since Moldova gained independence, President Trump chose an ambassador on political grounds,” Burkhalter said.

The U.S. ambassador also emphasized that the administration of President Donald Trump wanted to end the war and was making efforts to achieve peace.

“We are talking about the President of the United States. He wants the war to end and is making visible efforts through special envoys and other means. First Lady Melania Trump’s efforts have recently intensified. You have seen that she has projects that are very close to her heart, involving children affected by war and children lost during the war, and it is no coincidence that many things are happening in this regard,” the ambassador said.

Joseph Mark Burkhalter encouraged closer cooperation between Moldova and its European partners in the field of security. The priorities he mentioned include airspace surveillance, crisis-response measures, regional information sharing and coordination between defense and civilian institutions.

“Let me tell you one more thing: I am encouraged to see that more European allies have become involved and have drawn closer to their friend, Moldova. This is extremely important, and let us continue these efforts—let us continue cooperating on airspace surveillance, crisis-response measures, regional information sharing, and the coordination of activities between defense institutions and civilian institutions,” the ambassador said.

At the end of his speech, Joseph Mark Burkhalter referred to a message recently delivered in Athens by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to which the Western world is at a crossroads.

“We are essentially at a crossroads and the decisions made today will define the decades to come,” the U.S. ambassador said, paraphrasing Marco Rubio’s message.

Joseph Mark Burkhalter concluded his speech with an appeal for cooperation to strengthen the security and resilience of Moldova.

The 2026 Moldova Security Forum is taking place in Chisinau on October 8–9, bringing together more than 700 participants from Moldova and both sides of the Atlantic, including politicians, military leaders, experts, representatives of civil society and media members. The third edition of the forum is being held under the theme, Strengthening Democratic Resilience and Security through Strategic Vision and Multilateral Cooperation, amid increasingly complex security challenges for Moldova and the region.