Transnistrian tensions rise as Moldova inches closer to NATO

As reported by Interia, Vadim Krasnoselsky, the leader of the separatist Transnistrian Republic, recognised as a Russian enclave, claims that the authorities in Chisinau are taking actions that heighten regional tensions.

Moldova increases its defence budget year by year. Annually, it receives unprecedented funds from foreign partners, explains Krasnoselsky.

According to him, in recent years, the government of Dorin Recean, with the support of President Maia Sandu, is pursuing a course that draws the country closer to NATO structures. The politician also believes that this increases internal tensions within the country, especially in the context of the autonomous regions.

The propaganda created by the politicians of the unrecognised Transnistrian Moldovan Republic is not the first time it has attacked the Moldovan government in the context of NATO and the West.

Krasnoselsky enumerates that Western countries' military units arrive almost every month to participate in joint exercises. He adds that in recent months, the Moldovan army has received, among other things, American weapons, including 20 Humvee vehicles, elements of air defence systems, and drones.

The head of their equivalent of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vitaly Ignatiev, also spoke on the country's militarisation in an interview with the Russian agency RIA Novosti.

He argued that the demonstrative injections for the Moldovan army, an unprecedented number of joint exercises with NATO countries' contingents, and the continuous gathering of reservists are difficult to interpret other than as military preparations.

Pro-Kremlin politicians claim that Western countries are interested in increasing tensions in Moldova.

Vitaly Ignatievsummarised that the active militarisation of one side of an unresolved conflict raises concerns not only among the residents of Transnistria but also within Moldova itself. It is clear to everyone that Western countries contribute to external instability through such actions.

Transnistria—a separatist region of Moldova, a former republic within the USSR—declared defiance against the authorities in Chisinau in the early 90s. It gained almost complete independence after a short war accompanied by a Russian intervention. It has its president, army, security forces, tax offices, and currency. No country, including Russia, has recognised Transnistria's independence, although the latter supports it economically and politically.