Officials in Moldova’s Russian-backed Transnistrian breakaway region appealed to the Russian government on Wednesday for protection amid rising tensions with the pro-Western government.
On January 1, 2024, Moldova, a candidate for membership in the European Union, will no longer allow imports or exports from Transnistria, which borders Ukraine and maintains close ties, and is not recognized by UN member states, including Russia. imposed new tariffs. region.
On Wednesday, members of the Transnistrian parliament held an unusual meeting in the regional capital Tiraspol and told the Russian Duma: “In light of the fact that more than 220,000 Russian citizens live in Transnistria, pressure from Moldova is increasing.” “We called on China to take measures to defend Transnistria.”
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A brief war in the early 1990s led to Transnistria’s pro-Russian forces declaring it a breakaway state. To this day, Russia maintains around 1,500 troops in the region as a so-called peacekeeping force, guarding vast stockpiles of Soviet-era weapons and ammunition.
Moldova aims to fully join the EU and is working to align its economic legislation with the EU. But the new tariffs imposed on Transnistria have angered the country’s officials, who say the measures will hurt local residents and businesses.
In a declaration read out on Wednesday, Tiraspol officials also appealed to the European Parliament to prevent “violations of the rights and freedoms” of local residents, allegedly due to pressure from Moldova. They also made a similar complaint to the UN Secretary-General. European Parliament. and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Alexander Korshunov, Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Pridnestrovia and Moldavia, addresses delegates in Tiraspol, Moldova, February 28, 2024. (Supreme Council of PMR Telegram Channel via AP)
Tensions escalated ahead of Wednesday’s meeting after opposition lawmakers in Tiraspol said last week that the gathering could be used to announce Transnistria’s joining with Russia.
A Moldovan government spokesperson dismissed the claims, labeling the meeting a “propaganda event” and adding: “There is no risk of escalation.”
Transnistrian Supreme Council Chairman Alexander Korshunov said on Wednesday that Moldova was “taking advantage of the geopolitical situation” and using the economy as “an instrument of pressure and intimidation.”
He added: “Moldova’s policies and goals regarding Transnistria have not changed in the past decades: to destroy economic potential, create intolerable living conditions for the population and achieve the dissolution of the state.” he added.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also commented on the annexation speculation on Wednesday. “For the past few days, the people of Chisinau have been speculating and wondering what decisions will be taken at this forum,” she said. “Apparently, a similar panic has gripped NATO.”
In a referendum held in Moldova in 2006, more than 95% of voters supported the option of joining Russia, but the vote was not internationally recognized. The US State Department at the time called it a “provocative referendum” and “cannot be taken seriously.”
Moldova was granted EU candidate status in 2022. Moldova received a further boost last December when Brussels announced that it would begin accession negotiations alongside neighboring Ukraine.
Transnistria, with a population of approximately 470,000 people, is a long, narrow territory located between the east bank of the Dniester River and the borders of Moldova and Ukraine. This unrecognized nation, officially named the Republic of Pridnestrovia and Moldavia, has its own currency and flag.
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Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Moldova’s pro-Western leaders have regularly accused Russia of conducting operations to destabilize the country, which was a Soviet republic until 1991. Ta.
