Transnistria declared independence in 1992 but is not internationally recognized. The request could add to regional tensions as the war in neighboring Ukraine continues.
The separatist region of Transnistria on Wednesday asked Russia to provide it with protection, repeating a scenario that played out in regions across eastern Ukraine which are now occupied by Moscow.
Transnistria is a self-styled by republic which is not interntionally recognized in eastern Moldova which shares a border with Ukraine.
The Russian-speaking territory declared independence from Moldova after a brief war with Moldova.
The appeal to Moscow was made at a special session of Transnistria’s Congress of Deputies. At its last session, in 2006, the assembly asked to be annexed by Russia, though that did not happen.
The latest appeal to Russia came a day before President Vladimir Putin makes a state of the nation address in Moscow.
The Transnistria Congress appealed to the Russian Parliament “to protect Transnistria in the face of increasing pressure” from Moldova, mentioning that “more than 220,000 Russian citizens permanently reside in the region.”
Separatist leader Vadim Krasnoselsky claimed help from Moscow was needed as “a policy of genocide is being applied against Transnistria.” Similar entreaties claims were made for years by Russian proxies in eastern Ukraine and used by Moscow to help justify its 2022 invasion.
Transnistria shares no border with Russia although Moscow has a supposed peacekeeping force of around 1,500 that has been stationed in the enclave ince 1992.
Some analysts see Transnistria’s protection request as aimed primarily at destabilizing the pro-Western government in Moldova, which Moscow has tried to topple through proxies like Ilan Shor, an exiled Moldovan millionaire who fled to Israel to avoid a prison sentence for fraud and money laundering.
He has funded anti-government protests and his supporters demand that Moldova, one of Europe’s poorest nations, abandon its ambitions of joining the European Union, which offered it “candidate status” in 2022.
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