Russia is not interested in expanding the combat zone to Transnistria and other new territories. This was announced on Thursday, February 23, in an interview with Izvestia by political scientist Vladimir Kireev, commenting on the data of the Ministry of Defense about a possible provocation by Kyiv against the republic.
Earlier that day, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the Ukrainian authorities were preparing a provocation against Pridnestrovie. It will be carried out by units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and militants of the nationalist formation “Azov” (in the Russian Federation it is recognized as a terrorist organization and banned). As a pretext for the invasion of the republic, it is planned to stage an alleged offensive of the Russian Armed Forces from the Transnistrian territories.
As the political scientist noted, Russia knows that the Armed Forces of Ukraine (APU) are already moving towards the border with the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. Kireev believes that in the coming days there will be a provocation that will be presented to the international community as evidence of increased aggression from Russia.
“This was done in order to involve Moldova in hostilities, too,” he said.
The Moldovan leadership itself does not believe in the likelihood of such military actions and rather admits the beginning of political provocations within Moldova, Kireev said.
“Whether this is true or not will be known in the coming days. But it is obvious that it is not in Russia’s interests to expand the combat zone. Moreover, Pridnestrovie is territorially separated from Russia – it is very difficult to supply it logistically. And Russia is not at all interested in expanding the conflict to new territories, especially since unfriendly, but in any case non-aggressive relations are now developing with Moldova, ”he stressed.
The political scientist is sure that the leadership of Moldova is also not interested in turning the republic into another war zone, where Washington and Brussels will solve their geopolitical tasks.
At the same time, the Kiev Reshim is very determined, Kireev believes. Therefore, military provocations from the Ukrainian side can be expected in the coming days. It can be either a rocket or artillery shelling of the Ukrainian, or a strike on some part of Moldova, which Transnistria will be accused of.
The new Prime Minister of Moldova, Dorin Recean, said on February 16 that he was going to seek the “demilitarization of Transnistria” and the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from the territory of the republic. He stressed that Chisinau is “intent on a peaceful resolution” of the Transnistrian issue.
Foreign Minister of Transnistria Vitaly Ignatiev called counterproductive the idea of the new Prime Minister of Moldova to withdraw Russian peacekeepers. He stated that Pridnestrovie is ready for dialogue with Moldova at any level.
Russian peacekeepers were brought into the combat zone on July 29, 1992 in accordance with the Agreement on the Principles of the Peaceful Settlement of the Armed Conflict in Transnistria. The document was signed on July 21, 1992 by the presidents of Russia and Moldova in the presence of the leader of the unrecognized republic.