Moldova’s separatist region Transnistria seeks Russian protection

Vladimir Putin has been requested by pro-Russian separatists in Transnistria, a separatist portion of Moldova, to defend their area against what they perceive to be government threats.

While Moldova, which borders Ukraine, is putting in a bid to join the European Union, Transnistria, which broke away from Moldova during the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, has stayed firmly within Kremlin’s grip.

Transnistria politicians requested Moscow to protect them from “increasing pressure from Moldova” during a special congress on Wednesday. The Kremlin later stated that safeguarding its “compatriots” was a top concern, according to Russian state media RIA Novosti.

Although the congress at first raised concerns that Moscow may move on with its long-standing plot to topple Moldova’s government, which is becoming more and more pro-Western, Moldova rejected the idea as “propaganda.”

The Russian war in Ukraine has significantly impacted the economy of Transnistria. At the start of the conflict, Ukraine closed its border with Transnistria, cutting off over 25% of the enclave’s trade. Although it continues to get cheap Russian gas, there is no assurance that the agreement allowing gas transit via Ukraine will be extended when it expires in December.

The battle also encouraged Moldova to work toward a settlement of its long-standing dispute with Transnistria. The EU accorded Moldova candidate status in June 2022 and approval to start membership talks in December 2023, in part as a reaction to the war.