 "What is Transnistria, Moldova’s breakaway region that has asked Russia for help?")
Transnistria, a Russia-backed breakaway region in Moldova, has appealed to Moscow for protection. On Wednesday (28 February), Transnistrian politicians in a meeting in the regional capital, Tiraspol, adopted a resolution asking the “Federation Council and the State Duma of the Russian Federation, requesting measures to protect Transnistria amidst increased pressure from Moldova”.
The resolution also mentioned that “more than 220,000 Russian citizens reside in Transnistria,” reported Associated Press (AP).
But what is Transnistria and why has its appeal to Russia triggered annexation concerns? Let’s take a closer look.
What is Transnistria?
Transnistria, also known as Transdniester, is a narrow strip of land wedged between the Dniester River and Moldova’s border with Ukraine. It was a part of the then-Moldavian Republic within the Soviet Union.
Moldova, which was historically dominated by the Russian Empire, started shifting away from Russian influence and moving towards Europe in the 1990s, according to an Al Jazeera report.
The Moldova parliament declared at the time that Moldavian in the Latin script would be the republic’s only state language. This move was opposed by Transnistria which had joined Bessarabia (Moldova) in 1940, Anatoli Dirun, head of the Tiraspol School of Public Studies, told Al Jazeera.
“After their demands were ignored, the population of Transnistria organised a large-scale strike”, he said.
In 1992, rebels waged a war against Moldova’s pro-western government, leading to the Russian army’s intervention on the side of the separatists, reported The Guardian.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsTransnistria has been controlled by pro-Russian separatists since then. However, it is not recognised by any member of the United Nations, including Russia, as an independent state.
The region with a population of 470,000 is home to ethnic Russians, Ukrainians, and Moldovans. Transnistria, officially named the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, has its own currency and flag. Russian is one of the breakaway strip’s official languages.
“People from Transnistria have their own passport that is not valid anywhere,” Cristina Afinoghenova, who is originally from Transnistria and currently living in Moldova’s capital Chisinau, told Al Jazeera.
As a result, “many obtain secondary documents”, she added.
Most Transnistrians have Moldovan passports and some have Russian and Ukrainian papers.
Impact of Russia-Ukraine war on the region
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has also impacted Transnistria . Kyiv closed its border with the separatist strip after the war with Russia began in February 2022.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Dirun said that “Ukraine has seriously changed its attitude towards Transnistria, considering the Russian troops stationed there as a threat to its national security.”
Moscow has stationed 1,500 troops in the separatist region which it calls “peacekeepers” that guard Soviet-era weapons and ammunition stockpiles. Their presence in the strip prevents any possibility of reunification with Moldova, according to Politico.
The Russia-Ukraine war has also hit talks, a Moldova government spokesperson of a department focused on reintegration policies, told Al Jazeera.
“[It] is currently [impossible] to hold meetings since two of its very important actors, Ukraine and Russia, cannot sit at the same table to negotiate,” the spokesperson added.
The Ukraine war has also made Transnistria “an even greater ground for disinformation campaigns”, Anastasia Pociumban, a research fellow at the Center for Order and Governance at the German Council on Foreign Relations, told Al Jazeera.
Will Transnistria join Russia?
Transnistria has maintained close ties with Russia. It is also economically reliant on Moscow, including for free gas.
The latest appeal by officials of the separatist strip to Moscow has led to speculations about the region’s annexation to Russia. The concerns are not without basis as 97.1 per cent of voters in the region backed joining Russia in a 2006 referendum.
However, the ballot was not internationally recognised, with the US State Department calling it a “provocative referendum” that “cannot be taken seriously.”
Last week, Ghenadie Ciorba – an opposition legislator in Transnistria – reportedly said that separatists may call for a referendum on the region’s annexation to Russia. However, this did not happen at the rare meeting held this week.
While Moscow has deterred from any steps toward annexation, the recent resolution seeking its support has raised concerns. The United States has said it is closely watching the situation in Transnistria.
On Wednesday, Alexander Korshunov, chairman of the Transnistrian Supreme Council, said that Moldova was “taking advantage of the geopolitical situation” and using the economy “as a tool of pressure and blackmail”, reported AP.
The appeal to Russia came in the wake of Moldova imposing new customs duties on imports to and exports from the separatist region.
“There is social and economic pressure on Transdniestria, which contradicts European principles and approaches to the protection of human rights and free trade,” the resolution said.
Moldova, a candidate to join the European Union, has downplayed the recent events, denying a risk of escalation.
With inputs from agencies
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