Tiraspoltransgaz

 

Communist shaking hands with capitalist

This is some kind of Henry Kissinger-level stuff from the European Union. Please note that "Transnistria" is a non-recognized pro-Russian quasi-Communist breakaway republic. If you can´t beat ´em...bribe ´em.

It seems that Russian Gazprom provides gas to both Moldova and Transnistria, perhaps through the same pipelines? Since Moldova has a pro-Western government, Russia decided to stop the gas deliveries, but this unfortunately left pro-Russian Transnistria hanging in the air...and deprived of gas, too?!

Are the Russians actually losing the plot? 

The EU offers emergency support to tackle the energy crisis in Moldova

Pro-Russian separatists refuse EU gas

The fire next time: Transnistria?

 

Rumors or fears about the Russian-Ukrainian war spilling over into Moldova are hardly new, and here we go again. While Moldova doesn´t border Russia, part of its territory is actually controlled by a Russian-backed breakaway republic known as Transnistria. And they do border Ukraine...

As far as I understand, there have always been Russian Federation troops in Transnistria, the population of which is largely Russian. 

Since Moldova isn´t a NATO member, it could be a tempting target for a new front in the war. Indeed, it´s difficult to see what Moldova (or NATO for that matter) could even do, if Russia officially annexes Transnistria, and then choses to go no further? Transnistria would then become a new Kaliningrad, which it perhaps already is anyway.

Transnistria rumored to seek unification with Russia

Just another day in the universe

The targeted radio masts in Transnistria
(Credit: Transdnestrian Interior Ministry/Reuters)

This is not looking good...

The Russo-Ukraine war might spread to Moldova ("Transnistria" is a Russian breakaway republic in eastern Moldova, bordering Ukraine) or even to Russia itself. 

Note that it wasn´t senile Joe Biden who made the statement about attacks on Russian targets...

As for Transnistria, my wild guess is that it´s a Russian false flag to provide Russia with an excuse to intervene, but it could of course also be a Moldovan bait.  

World War III next? 

UK minister: "completely legitimate" for Ukraine to attack targets within Russia

Two radio towers destroyed in Transnistria

Landet som icke är

Lenin-staty i Tiraspol, Transnistriens s k huvudstad
(Credit: David Stanley) 

Funderade för några dagar sedan faktiskt på varför vi inte hört någonting om detta. Men nu verkar det vara dags...

Transnistrien pekas ut som Putins nästa mål

A nation that doesn´t really exist

Chances are, you never heard of Transnistria. But no, Transnistria is not an imaginary place from some bad Bond movie or Tintin adventure story. The "nation" of Transnistria actually exists!

It's a relatively tiny area at the Moldovan-Ukrainian border, controlled by the Russian army but styling itself an "independent republic". They still use old Soviet Communist symbols, and even issue their own rubles (they are only valid in Transnistria itself). By international right, Transnistria is really part of Moldova, but the Moldovan government doesn't dare attacking it, due to the large contingent of Russian soldiers. NATO intervention would start World War III, so Transnistria stays.

And yes, they sell beautiful silver rubles with White swans and hammer-and-sickle symbols. I guess this somehow adds to their GNP.

The British Trotskyist magazine "Miltant" once expressed support for this wonderful workers' state with its multi-ethnic militia. (I still have that issue of their paper, so they can't deny it.) Which may or may not tell us which side *those* guys were really on during the 1990's.

Or perhaps they just preferred Transnistrian silver to Russian gold?

;-)