Ukraine, Moldova Sign New Military Cooperation Agreement, Vow to Join EU Together

Ukraine and Moldova further deepened their bilateral ties by signing a new military cooperation agreement intended to counter Russian threats, while pledging to pursue membership in the European Union side by side.The deal was struck during Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan’s visit to Kyiv on Monday, Oct. 26, where he met with his Ukrainian counterpart Serhii Koretsky and President Volodymyr Zelensky.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.“We agreed to resume the work of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation and the ‘Odesa Triangle’ format, which brings together Ukraine, Moldova and Romania,” Koretskyi said in a statement on Telegram.“We plan to hold the first meeting of the triangle at the level of prime ministers,” he continued. However, no additional information was provided on when the meeting could take place.A single path to BrusselsThe two countries’ EU ambitions cannot be pulled apart, both Ukrainian leaders said.Koretskyi argued that each country’s accession would strengthen the other’s security, adding that moving towards the bloc together also makes economic sense.“Moldova and Ukraine are definitely stronger when we move together in this direction. It is important that we continue to be together, because this is true,” Zelensky said, according to the Presidential Office.Two two sides agreed that any attempt to separate Ukraine’s and Moldova’s paths to EU membership would be inacceptable. Other Topics of Interest Russian Strike on Kharkiv Kills 2, Wounds 4, Including Teenager Over the past week, Russian strikes killed 12 people across the Kharkiv region, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said. Such an attempt previously came in July, when Hungary signaled it was prepared to approve the screening results only for Moldova’s Cluster 3 while continuing to block Ukraine’s progress. Other EU member states, led by Ireland – which held the rotating Council presidency – opposed splitting the two countries’ accession tracks.Transnistria region on the agenda as wellRegional security featured prominently in Zelensky’s talks with Tofan, with a particular focus on the situation in Transnistria, the unrecognized, Russian-backed breakaway region along Moldova’s border with Ukraine.The leaders also discussed wider security challenges in the region and closer military cooperation, which the prime ministers formalized with Monday’s military-technical agreement.“It is important to deliver results for our people and our countries,” Zelensky said in a statement on Telegram.Trade routes and border crossingsBecause of Russia’s full-scale war, now in its fifth year, has significantly reshaped how vital cargo moves between countries, much of the discussion centered on keeping those routes open.Zelensky proposed restoring the Solidarity Lanes, transit routes that would speed up the export of Ukrainian goods to other European countries via railway, road and inland waterways.Meanwhile, Koretskyi thanked Moldova for discounted rail freight rates, which the sides agreed on in response to Russian attacks in the Black Sea. Ukrainian support for Moldova’s water supply was on the agenda as well, although no further details were provided.The two countries confirmed that they are ready to expand joint control to two more border crossing points, with an agreement due in the near future.Energy ties deepenEnergy remains a central pillar of the relationship between the two neighbors, particularly since Ukraine halted the transit of Russian gas to Europe at the start of 2025.Zelensky thanked Chișinău for supporting the Vertical Gas Corridor, a route that allows gas to reach Ukraine through Romania and Moldova, as well as for its decision to discount gas transit via the Trans-Balkan route.Koretskyi also praised the transit arrangements and noted that Moldovan companies are already storing gas in Ukrainian facilities.In a Sept. 30 analysis, the Atlantic Council proposed using Ukraine’s underground storage network to distribute US gas across European markets. Ukraine’s storage operator, Ukrtransgaz, puts the network’s total capacity at 30.95 billion cubic meters (1.09 trillion cubic feet). Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.