The continued presence of Russian troops on Moldovan soil remains a source of instability, and the risks are increasing with Russia’s war on Ukraine entering a new phase, believes Chiril Moțpan, vice president of the DA Platform and ex-chair of the parliamentary Commission for National Security.
“Thank goodness we have this security shield - the heroism of the Ukrainian people in the fight against the aggressor. Moldova today enjoys a climate of security and peace. Of course, this security is put to the test. But I doubt that the Tiraspol regime will now be able to organize a mobilization, as the Kremlin regime wants,” the politician said during an IPN debate.
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In this context, Chiril Moțpan supported the idea of withdrawing the Moldovan citizenship from holders of dual citizenship, particularly from the Transnistrian region, in case they go to fight on Russia’s side. “Anyone who supports this aggression must bear the consequences”, he said.
“But I don’t know how exactly the citizens of Transnistria with Russian citizenship could get involved, because it is difficult to cross the border to get to the front. Plus, I don’t think they want it that much. Just look at what is happening in the Russian Federation. You have seen the reaction of ordinary citizens, who realize that what is happening in Ukraine already affects them directly, the threat is not a remote one. Now it’s persona, and when people see their children taken away and sent to be cannon fodder in Ukraine, they object. The last case, a recruitment commissar was shot. The reactions are absolutely unexpected for the Kremlin regime”, said Chiril Moțpan.
He believes that many young people from the Transnistrian region have already left, and their number will increase if Russia insists on recruiting them. “For them it is already clear what is happening in this conflict. Plus, there is also the danger that Ukraine will take a stance, including a military one, towards some possible movements in this region”, says Chiril Moțpan.
According to him, today the Operative Group of the Russian Federation in the Transnistrian region is not that impressive, and its weaponry is outdated and less sophisticated. Even if the army of the Republic of Moldova has about 6.5 thousand soldiers, Chiril Moțpan believes that it has certain capabilities to prevent a potential attack from the separatist region, an eventuality that he considers, however, improbable. And this is largely due to the fact that the Ukrainians have massed sufficient forces in the area, precisely to prevent such an eventuality.
Also on the topic of security, Chiril Moțpan is of the opinion that the anti-government protests organized by the Shor Party in the center of Chisinau “have the clear purpose of destabilizing” the situation in the country, and the authorities must not hesitate to apply the law, which allows them to ban mass demonstrations during the ongoing state of emergency.
The public debate entitled “New phase of Russo-Ukrainian war, new dangers and solutions to security in the region and in the Republic of Moldova” was the 262th installment of IPN’s project “Developing Political Culture through Public Debates” that is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
