Ex-Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Vlad Kulminski said there is for now no risk of involvement of the Transnistrian region in the war. According to him, neither the population of the region nor the separatist authorities want an escalation. For his part, political commentator Nicolae Negru said the risk of Moldova being engaged in the war will increase if Ukraine loses ground to Moscow and the Russian army heads for Odessa, IPN reports.
According to the adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenski, Mikhail Podolyak, the Transnistrian region is a destabilizing factor for the Republic of Moldova and for Ukraine and decisions concerning Transnistria will be taken when the conflict escalates. The former Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration noted that while fighting against the Russian military aggression, Ukraine braces for any scenario. For now, Moldova will not be involved in the war through the territory that is not controlled by the constitutional authorities.
“At the moment, there is no risk that the Transnistrian region or the Republic of Moldova on the whole will be engaged in the war. While fighting against the Russian Federation’s aggression, Ukraine should make plans for any risk. But a number of Ukrainian officials admitted that the Transnistrian region does not pose such a big threat. By ethnic composition, the region is inhabited by Ukrainians, Moldovans and Russians. It is hard to imagine that the people will be mobilized to go and fight against Ukraine,” Vlad Kulminski stated in a special edition on the public TV channel.
In the same connection, political commentator Nicolae Negru said the risks will grow exponentially for the Republic of Moldova if Russia manages to occupy Mykolaiv region and moves towards Odessa.
“Even if the population from the other side of the Nistru does not want a war, no one will ask it if it wants to be engaged in the war or not. There are Russian troops that obey the command in Moscow, not in Tiraspol or Chisinau. The situation in our country can change depending on the developments in fighting in Ukraine. If the Russian army occupies Mykolaiv and moves towards Odessa, things will change. Russia can also use the Cobansa depot. We do not know what’s there. Some say there are also rockets in the depot,” stated Nicolae Negru.
On Wednesday, Maia Sandu in the European Parliament said that the Republic of Moldova supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. “Crimea is Ukraine. Donbas is Ukraine. Kyiv is Ukraine. And they will always be Ukraine,” stated the official.
