U.S.Pushing EU out of Transnistria Talks

Moldovan President Igor Dodon has sent his advisers to Washington for consultations President of the Republic of Moldova (RM) Igor Dodonhas sent his advisers to Washington for consultations on Transnistria. According to the German expert Alexander Rahr, when the EU has weakened its positions in the post-Soviet space and the United States is beginning to occupy this niche, Dodon understands that it is necessary to solve the Transnistrian issue with Moscow and Washington. Moldovan expert AnatolTsaranu links the mission of the advisers to the President of the Republic of Moldova with the recent talks between Dodon and Putin. After the official visit to Moscow, the President of the Republic of Moldova Igor Dodon said at the press conference in Chisinau that he would hold a meeting with Transnistria’s leader Vadim Krasnoselsky before the end of this year. “We (with Vladimir Putin. -“ NG ”) discussed numerous issues, including the topic of Transnistria, discussing important decisions that have been made over the past six months. We also discussed the upcoming meeting with Mr. Krasnoselsky before the end of this year. It will take place in December”, Dodon said. He also said that his advisers VasilySova and AurelCepoiwould go this week to Washington “for consultations, where the Transnistrian issue will be discussed”. Igor Dodon said that his advisers were going to Washington, where they would voice the following position of the President of the Republic of Moldova: “Moldova should be friends with all countries, relying on its national interest”. “I am pleased that the U.S. is open to such a dialogue, which my advisers had previously held in Vienna and which will soon be held in Berlin and in Paris”, said the head of the Moldovan state. According to AnatolTsaranu, head of the Chisinau-based Politicon Center for Strategic Studies and Political Consulting, Dodon could convey Moscow’s message to Washington through his representatives." The Moldovan political analyst suggested that the visit by Dodon’s advisers could have been agreed on with Moscow. "It is not improbable that the Kremlin is ready for some concessions to the US on the Transnistria issue. The ‘price tag’ will not be disclosed, the more so since Dodon pursues a closed policy in general. However, it is clear that he is trying to break the blockade around him. The Moldovan president is received only in Moscow, while he meets with other leaders only as part of some events. It is essential for him to make it to the political leaders’ circle, considering that Moldova will have parliamentary elections next February, and he is counting on the victory of the pro-presidential Party of Socialists," the expert told the paper. On the other hand, Alexander Rahr, Project Director at the German-Russian Forum, believes the EU has stopped tackling regional issues. “Merkel’s visit to Ukraine showed she has no plan for resolving the situation in Donbass, although the chancellor stressed the need to implement the Minsk accords. Her visit to the South Caucasus turned out to be completely fruitless. Seeing all that, Moldovan President Igor Dodon realizes that today everything depends on Washington more than on Europe and that the Transnistrian issue, which he has tried to tackle in earnest, unlike Moldova’s other leaders, can only be resolved with Russia and the US. So, Dodon is trying to reach out to Washington”, the expert explained. It is known that Igor Dodon is seeking the return of Transnistria under the control of Chisinau, not excluding the federal basis of the unification. However, earlier the leader of Transnistria Vadim Krasnoselsky said that Tiraspol “is not interested in the plan for the federalization of Moldova, because Transnistria wants independence, and then unification with Russia”. Krasnoselsky also said to “NG” that Transnistriawould definitely be recognized as an independent state. Tiraspol intends to continue negotiations with the Republic of Moldovaas with a neighboring country. The purpose of the negotiation process, according to Krasnoselsky, is to strengthen the confidence-building measures of the population on the two banks of the Dniester (the right bank is Moldova, the left bank is Transnistria). Igor Dodon replied to this statement: “One of my main goals is the unification of the country. Moldova has no future without Transnistria, and Transnistria has no future without Moldova. When someone from the left bank says that we will never be together, I ask the following question: do you want to go to Ukraine? You must choose, dear Transnistrians. Independence will never happen. There will be no status as a subject of the Russian Federation, only unification within a single state. Wewillfindtheformula. Let us discuss”. Nevertheless, in Washington, where there are advisers to the President of the Republic of Moldova, they will notlikely talk about strengthening the confidence measures of the people of Moldova and Transnistria, but about the presence of Russian troops in the region. Both Russia and the United States would like to have a military base in Transnistria. Therefore, the Operational Group of Russian Forces is still deployed there. Once it leaves, the Americans will take its place. One cannot know the topic of the Dodon’s talks to U.S. in this situation and it clear that you can only negotiate with the Americans by surrendering Moscow. Alternatively, if Moscow surrenders Transnistria. Such a “compromise” option does not exclude the Moldovan expert AnatolTsaranu. Moreover, there is a real threat of resuscitation of the Transnistrian conflict. Igor Dodonsaid: “I am concerned about the possibility of reanimation of the Transnistrian conflict in order to draw Russia into it”. Recently, President Petro Poroshenko declared Transnistria a dangerous region (along with Crimea) and promised to send a task force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to the borders of the unrecognized republic. Source: ng.ru