Transnistria, a separatist area of Moldova, could get annexed by Putin, who’s “on the brink of a new land grab” to defy the West.
Rumor has it that Transnistria, an unincorporated region, is preparing to request permission from Putin to join Russia. The landlocked area surrounding the Dniester River encircles Moldova and Ukraine.
Putin already has up to 2,000 troops in the region, which Russia claims is overwhelmingly in favor of Moscow’s annexation. This force is known as a “peacekeeping” force. Thousands of Russian paramilitaries are probably also present on the ground.
Putin is suspected of using his speech to the Russian Federal Assembly on February 29 to approve the annexation. A “congress” of regional leaders was convened in Transnistria a day earlier, raising the possibility that they might make an official plea to join Russia. Such a demand resulted from a previous such assembly.
As part of Putin’s reelection campaign, local opposition politician Gennadiy Chorba asserts that a scheme to seize Transnistria is underway. Putin will thus have the ostensible “legal” authority to enter Transnistria, which has been in limbo since the fall of the Soviet Union.
Experts say the dictator senses he could get away with a second annexation because he has observed the West failing to provide Ukraine with the weapons it needs. Russia may use the region as a springboard for strikes on the Ukrainian port of Odesa, which is thought to be a far more important prize, as well as to advance against the remainder of Moldova, which is considered a secondary objective.
Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, has vowed that Moscow will “not leave its citizens living in Transnistria in trouble. “Last year, Maia Sandu, the president of Moldova, asserted that Russia was organizing a coup in her nation.
Although “unconfirmed,” the possible Moscow action is being closely watched, according to Ukrainian intelligence. Additionally, sources emphasize that Putin may find it difficult to reinforce the Russian forces that have occupied Transnistria since the end of the Soviet era by sending in troops.
However, opposition leader Gennady Ciorba cautioned Sandu about the Kremlin’s danger, claiming that attempts to pacify aggressors like Putin merely fueled their insatiable desire. “The psychology of the current leadership of Russia, in particular Putin, is very similar to the psychology of Hitler in the late 1930s.”