Lavrov: Moldova May Be Considering a Military Solution to the Transnistrian Issue

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused Chisinau government of preparing a military solution to the Transnistrian conflict. “It seems that Moldova has decided to give up on Transnistria. They refused the numerous proposals of the Transnistrians and the Russian Federation to resume negotiations in the 5+2 format. Maia Sandu claimed that they will hold a referendum on accession to the European Union without Transnistria. Probably, there is a desire to unite with Romania sooner and through this gain some additional opportunities. Maybe they rely on a military settlement of the Transnistrian issue,” Lavrov said. He also accused Chisinau of deciding to destroy Moldovan-Russian relations. “President Maia Sandu has blatantly set a course to break relations with the Russian Federation. Whatever they say to the contrary - that they want to be friends but Russia oppresses them – it’s all lie. Sandu has been turned into a tool of geopolitical space exploration by the European Union, but, I think, in the future also by NATO. Although Moldova’s constitution enshrines a neutral status, this is where things are heading. And it's sad, they don't draw any conclusions from the situation of recent years. NATO has already made Ukraine a tool of its aggression, now they want to do the same with Moldova. If they hold elections, probably the Europeans, as the main guardians of this country, should ensure fair, equal participation of all political forces, but this will not happen. It is already known that certain parties supporting normal relations with Russia will be barred from running in the elections. This process is already underway,” Lavrov said.