Ukraine will help Moldova in case of escalation in Transnistria — diplomat

The problem of unrecognized Transnistria is important for Ukraine, as Russian troops are stationed there as well as Russian special services, said Shevchenko. That is why Kyiv keeps some of its troops near the border with Moldova.

At the same time, the diplomat believes there is no immediate threat from the region. He recalled that the Ukrainian government has repeatedly said that Ukraine is ready to help if the Moldovan authorities make an official request.

Amount of help and how quickly “will depend on the urgency of the situation,” Shevchenko said.

“If the Moldovan authorities believe that there is a threat to security or stability, they will be able to solve it, and we will discuss what kind of assistance Moldova needs, and, of course, as far as possible, this assistance will be provided,” the ambassador said.

On Feb. 22, reports about Russia to “accept Transnistria into the Russian Federation” during a congress on Feb. 28 in the capital of unrecognized Transnistria began to spread online. This was stated by local opposition activist Gennadiy Chorba.

In one of its February reports, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that the Kremlin is conducting information operations against Moldova that are very similar to those used by Moscow before the invasion of Ukraine in 2014 and 2022.

On Jan. 15, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said that in the spring of 2024, Russia would try to destabilize the situation in the country again.

In February 2023, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian intelligence had intercepted a Russian plan to destroy the political situation in Moldova.

At the time, Prime Minister Dorin Recean confirmed that the authorities were aware of several scenarios to destabilize the situation in the country.