Separatists in the Republic of Moldova criticize the European Union and accuse Kiev as tensions rise in the area.
In recent days, fears that the Republic of Moldova could be drawn into the military conflict on its border have grown. Pro-Russian separatists in the Transnistrian region have warned of the danger of further escalation after what they described as a week of terrorist attacks, which they have blamed on Kiev.
“The situation is alarming because Transnistria has suffered terrorist attacks,” he said ReutersVitali Ignatiev, the foreign minister of the administration of the self-declared separatist region of Transnistria, in a video interview from his office in Tiraspol, the capital of the region.
He reiterated previous allegations by separatists that Ukraine was behind the reported incidents last week and said another drone from Ukraine armed with explosives had been shot down on Tuesday.
“Honestly, I see no reason why the Ukrainian side would use such methods against Transnistria. Transnistria does not threaten Ukraine,” he said. “I have said many times that we are an absolutely peaceful state.”
Moldova has been facing an unresolved separatist conflict for 30 years. A contingent of Russian peacekeepers is based in the region, which stretches along most of the border with Ukraine.
The pro-Western government of the Republic of Moldova has strongly supported Kiev since the Russian invasion, and on March 3, a week after Russian troops entered Ukraine, Chisinau filed an official application for EU membership.
Charles Michel, the head of the Council of EU Member States, visited Chisinau on Wednesday in solidarity, saying the bloc is considering additional military aid to support Chisinau. He did not offer, but Chisinau said the help he was looking for was not lethal.
“Of course, such statements, such actions do not increase calm, but rather contribute to tension and interfere with the normalization of the situation,” Ignatiev said, referring to Michel’s promise of military aid.
Separatists rejected Reuters’ request for permission to report from Transnistria, saying all credentials for foreign journalists had been stopped following last week’s attacks. Asked if he could rule out the possibility of Russia using its military base in Transnistria to attack Ukraine, Ignatiev said he could not speak on behalf of Moscow.
However, he distanced himself from the remarks of a Russian general who said last month that one of the aims of the Moscow war was to occupy Ukrainian territory in order to link with Transnistria: “I think that in these difficult circumstances, it is important to be extremely careful in statements. And even more careful in actions “.
Ignatiev condemned Moldova’s bid to join the EU as “detached from reality” and said it would create an additional risk of a resurgence of hostilities, as Chisinau had taken a “unilateral” decision.
“Moldova and Transnistria are in a state of unresolved conflict … An unresolved conflict probably means that Moldova must first resolve the conflict and then decide its political future,” he said.
The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, declared on Wednesday that he does not see an “imminent” threat, but that the country is still prepared for the possibility of “pessimistic” scenarios in the coming days.