Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, said that Ukraine would never take actions on the territory of the Republic of Moldova bypassing direct consultations with Moldova and the EU member states. He noted that Ukraine supports the government in Chisinau and underlined that the decision to resolve the Transnistrian dispute belongs exclusively to the Moldovan side. The official made the statements in an interview for Radio Moldova in response to the Russian Ministry of Defense’s communiqués about the Ukrainian army’s alleged intention to stage a military provocation in Moldova’s Transnistrian region.
“Never listen to what the Russian Ministry of Defense says. They permanently and primitively use the same stories about alleged provocations (...). Dependence on Russia, including from economic viewpoint, will always generate poverty and political instability. The decision to settle the Transnistrian issue belongs only to the Moldovan side. De jure, the Moldovan side, if it needs the support of Ukraine, should seek help from President Zelensky who, for his part, will take relevant decisions. I repeat once again, Ukraine will not come with initiatives without consulting Moldova, Romania and other EU member states. As to the provocative actions, the Russian Federation is the only country that can do this in Moldova and that will definitely take steps in the Transnistrian region,” stated Mykhailo Podolyak.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation disseminated statements, saying that Ukraine prepares military provocations in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova. The Moldovan authorities didn’t confirm the given information, calling on the citizens to remain calm and to follow the country’s official and credible sources.
