Moldova: Transnistria seeks Putin's protection and gets closer to its objective of destabilizing Europe

Pro-Russian political leaders in the breakaway region of Transnistria have asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to intervene, saying they face growing pressure from the Moldovan government.

This Wednesday, members of Congress from the separatist region asked Moscow to safeguard the interests of Transnistria. "[We resolved to] appeal to the Federation Council and the State Duma of the Russian Federation, requesting measures to protect Transnistria amidst increased pressure from Moldova," states the resolution, which calls on the international community to pressure Chisinau.

Although the resolution presented does not directly advocate the integration of Transnistria into Russia as some politicians initially claimed, it does highlight the significant presence of more than "220,000 Russian citizens" in the region and underlines the importance of their protection.

What happened between Transnistria and Moldova?

After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Moldova proclaimed its independence, but Transnistria chose not to join this declaration. Shortly afterward, armed conflict broke out between forces from both regions, and Transnistria has persisted as an independent entity ever since.

In 2006, the region held an internationally unrecognized referendum in which a majority of local voters supported accession to the Russian Federation. Despite this support, Moscow had decided to refrain from carrying out a formal annexation. However, the new discussions could encourage Russia to expand its war to reunite the former lands of the Russian empire.

New complications between regions

Since the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine, the economy of Transnistria has suffered notable repercussions. The border between Ukraine and Transnistria was closed at the beginning of the conflict, resulting in a substantial decrease of approximately 25% of the enclave's trade.

The war also motivated Moldova to seek accession to the European Union (EU) actively, leading to the granting of candidate status and the approval of accession negotiations by the international organization. Moldova's president, Maia Sandu, has since stated that she is willing to join the EU without Transnistria. Still, reunification could speed up the process, which has led to accusations from Transnistria.

However, tensions intensified on January 1, 2024, when Moldova implemented new customs tariffs affecting imports and exports from Transnistria. In response, the separatists accuse Moldova of trying to suffocate them economically.

"Moldova traditionally uses global difficulties to infringe on Transnistria," said the president of the self-proclaimed republic, Vadim Krasnoselsky, during his speech before Congress. However, Moldova has repeatedly refuted any allegations of pressure on Transnistria, instead accusing Russia of destabilizing the situation in the country through its actions in the breakaway region.

The government "rejects the propaganda statements coming from Tiraspol and recalls that the Transnistrian region benefits from the policies of peace, security and economic integration with the European Union, which are beneficial for all citizens," Moldova said in a statement.

Russia will consider Transnistria's request

Vladimir Putin has suggested that he sees Transnistria and Moldova as integral to his "Russkiy Mir" (Russian World) concept. Furthermore, he has already violated international law by annexing several regions of Ukraine during the war, so he could do it again to seek further expansion.

Just two weeks ago, its Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, gave a stern speech in the Russian Duma, stating: "We still have 200,000 citizens living there. And, of course, we are concerned about their fate, and we will not allow them to become victims of another Western adventure."

Moscow already maintains a military presence of approximately 1,500 troops in the separatist region, and although this figure may not yet be enough for an invasion of Moldova, concerns are growing that Putin could open a new front.