Christopher Smith, a high-ranking official of the U.S. Department of State, was in Tiraspol on Tuesday, where he had a meeting with the de facto leader of the Transnistrian region Vadim Krasnoselsky, IPN reports, citing Romanian media. The trip took place on the eve of the so-called congress of deputies of all levels from the region, which was convened for today. According to public reports, this forum could request the annexation of the Transnistrian region to the Russian Federation. 

Christopher W. Smith is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Eastern Europe and Political and Regional Affairs in the Department of State’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs. The American official is on a working visit to Moldova, during which he already had meetings with President Maia Sandu, Prime Minister Dorin Recean and Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Policies Oleg Serebrian. 

Neither the press nor officials provide details on the content of the discussion held in Tiraspol. In 2019, the Democratic Party ceded power in Moldova and its leader Vlad Plahotniuc swiftly left the country after allegedly having a “15-minute” discussion with the U.S. ambassador in Chisinau.