Moscow may instigate a crisis in Moldova's Russian-occupied Transnistria region to destabilize the country ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for September, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said on June 12, according to Moldovan outlet Newsmaker.
"All these years, Russia has been using the residents of Transnistria and can provoke an even greater crisis at any moment if it suits its plans in Moldova," Sandu said.
"We can expect this crisis to deepen in the coming months, before the elections."
The president's comments come after Transnistria declared a 30-day state of emergency on June 11, due to a sharp reduction in natural gas supplies.
The unrecognized region, located along Moldova's eastern border with Ukraine, has faced mounting energy shortages since January, when Russian gas giant Gazprom halted deliveries.
Sandu, a pro-European leader of the country, warned that Moscow could combine voter bribery and political manipulation with "blackmail" in Transnistria.
"Russia may promise assistance in exchange for votes on the Right Bank. We can expect all sorts of games," the president said.
In February, Moldova's government revealed that Transnistria rejected a 60 million euros ($62 million) EU energy aid package under pressure from Moscow.
The Moldovan president assured that the country's institutions are monitoring the risks and pledged that the elections would be "free and fair," despite growing instability.
Sandu emphasized that Chisinau is prepared to support the population in Transnistria but must first address "the main problem — the withdrawal of Russian troops."
"This is a key issue that we must resolve peacefully, because otherwise we will not be able to justify our financial support," she said.
Moscow continues to maintain a military presence in Transnistria, which has been under the control of pro-Russian separatists since the early 1990s. President Volodymyr Zelensky said in February that around 1,000 to 1,500 Russian troops are currently stationed in the region.
Chisinau has repeatedly called for the peaceful reintegration of Transnistria and the withdrawal of Russian forces, citing it as essential to Moldova's security and development.
Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean earlier told the Financial Times that Russia plans to send 10,000 troops to Transnistria and establish a pro-Kremlin government in Moldova.
Anna Fratsyvir
(Updated: )
