Lavrov: Russia bears responsibility for Russians in the transnistrian region
Putin's head of diplomacy, Sergey Lavrov, has again made aggressive statements against the Republic of Moldova, which he says is following an "obviously anti-Russian, anti-Nistru" policy. Lavrov again made veiled threats, saying Russia "bears responsibility for the Russian citizens of the transnistrian region."
"As far as I know, 250,000 Russian citizens live in the transnistrian region. Of course, we are responsible for them," Lavrov said. "First of all, it is about our peacekeeping contingent and the group of troops guarding the huge ammunition depot in Cobasna," Lavrov added, referring to the Transnistria Russian Task Force of Troops (GOTR), which consists of the remains of the XIV Army of the USSR and which has been occupying the territory of the Republic of Moldova for years. "We have a mandate agreed at the time by all parties," Lavrov said, adding that "we believe that this mandate fully maintains its relevance and we will be guided by it." In the same interview, Lavrov accused Ukraine of trying to interfere in the situation in the transnistrian region, "including through the use of force."
"The Ukrainian leadership plays a very negative, subversive role, because it has unequivocally taken the side of Chisinau and supports in all possible ways its bellicose aspirations, destructive aspirations towards the transnistrian region, violating its status as a mediator in the "5+2" negotiation format" , Lavrov said.
According to him, Ukraine is erecting fortifications on the border with the transnistrian region, "showing itself ready to interfere in the situation there, including militarily", according to TASS, quoted by Agerpres. "If we talk about the general situation in the transnistrian region, of course, it has deteriorated as a result of the policy that the Moldovan government, led by President Sandu, has decided to follow. This policy is clearly anti-Russian, anti-Transnistrian, if you like," Lavrov said in the TASS interview. Speaking about the law against separatism, recently voted in Chisinau, the Russian foreign minister declared that Russia "does not see separatist sentiments in the transnistrian region".
"We see in the Transnistrian leadership a strong desire to implement those agreements that were concluded in the "5+2" format, which aim at a full, mutually acceptable solution regarding the status of the transnistrian region," said the head of Russian diplomacy.
Sergey Lavrov said that the "5+2" negotiation format (the Republic of Moldova, transnistrian region, Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE, plus the EU and the US as observers) is essentially frozen. "To a great extent, the policy of the West contributed to this, which decided to take the "regulation" into its own hands, to impose this regulation on Tiraspol and to fully support the confrontational, myopic and blocking policy of President Sandu," said Lavrov.
This interview appears in the context in which the Republic of Moldova and the West accuse Russia of a "hybrid war" for destabilizing the situation with the aim of blocking the country's European path.
On March 12, Chisinau police announced the arrest of members of a network they suspect was trained by Russia. It is assumed that, in order to destabilize the situation, they were going to organize disturbances during the anti-government demonstrations that have been shaking the capital of the Republic of Moldova for several months.
