Moldova: Breakaway Transnistria asks Russia for ‘safety’

Pro-Russian officers within the Transnistria area of Moldova on Thursday known as for assist from Moscow “in the face of increased pressure.”

The name follows fears that tensions over the territory may open a brand new flashpoint in Moscow’s battle with neighboring Ukraine.

Why was the attraction made?

A particular congress of the area is known to have handed a decision on the problem on Wednesday.

Officials are set to ask Russia’s Federation Council and the State Duma “to implement measures to protect Transnistria in the face of increased pressure from Moldova,” native media reported the decision as saying. 

The cogress mentioned the Moldovan authorities had unleashed “economic war” on th area, blocking essential imports and in search of to show it right into a “ghetto”.

Transnistria had been secretive concerning the purpose for holding a particular congress, solely the seventh in its historical past and the primary since 2006. That congress noticed deputies announce a referendum on integrating with Russia, a vote that resulted in an awesome majority in favor.

However, it did say that officers would deal with a deepening row over customs duties with the Moldovan authorities.

“The decisions of the current congress cannot be ignored by the international community,” the “foreign policy chief” of the self-styled republic, Vitaly Ignatiev, informed the assembly. Ignatiev didn’t point out what these selections can be.

What is Transnistria?

The small and primarily Russian-speaking sliver of land is sandwiched between the Dniester River and the Ukraine border.

Transnistria unilaterally broke away from Moldova following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Separatists fought a warfare with Moldova’s pro-Western authorities in 1992, ending with a whole lot of deaths and the Russian military’s intervention on the facet of the separatists.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moldova has feared that Russia may use Transnistria to drive open a brand new entrance within the southwest, towards Odesa.

Moscow is accused of in search of to destabilize Moldova, which gained official candidate standing for European Union membership in June 2022.

Meanwhile, the territory’s pro-Russian management accuses Kyiv of plotting to assault it. 

rc/sms (AFP, Reuters)