What do the Transnistrians think of the pro-Russian separatists' appeal to Moscow? | DW News

Ukraine is warning against 'destructive external interference' in Moldova's breakaway region of Transnistria. This, after pro-Russia separatists there asked Moscow for „protection". It's the same overture used by separatists in eastern Ukraine a decade ago.

The self-proclaimed Republic of Transnistria is a tiny sliver of land located between Ukraine and Moldova - they were both Soviet Republics. Transnistria broke away from Moldova during the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.

People identifying as 'Russian' – many of them hold Russian citizenship – make up a sizable minority in Transnistria. And tensions have been rising ever since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

For more on this, we talk to freelance journalist Mircha Barbu, who joins us from just outside Chisinau, the capital of Moldova.

#Moldova #Transnistria #Russia

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[PRGRAMMING]

That single Russian guy sitting in Gold Coast Australia, requests immediate assistance from the Russian State, after his pizza was delivered cold...

[milesnixon]

Who will protect ethnic Russians in Russia though? They really need it.

[gluteusmaximus]

Russians really know how to make friends. Real experts.

[burlingwoodau]

one day you will hear the Russian population in Alaska will ask for protection too 🤣🤣

[Weaseltube]

Am I getting their argument right?
“I live outside of Russia but I feel Russian. Russia must come to this foreign land to protect me from local interference in my application of Russian socioeconomic practices!”

[besnikillyrian]

Its an old scenario . Create an enclave with some peooles and then claim the whole land . Balcan is suffering from centuries from that .

[EthanLomas]

Moldova's constitution says that the language of Moldova is Romanian so perhaps Modlova should seek protection from Romania? Another thing that confuses me is that Russia does not recognize dual citizenship so it should welcome the 50% of Transnistrians to Russia and the remainder can have a referendum to join Moldova. Mmm ...

[GeorgeGzirishvili]

The Western Europeans still don't realize that Russia thinks it has no borders, despite Russians saying it on their state-run TV channels almost on the daily basis. Dugin famously said Russia should expand to Lisbon, Portugal.

[Tuck]

Without NATO, this is how Russia would chip away at Europe.

[JOzzie-uz]

Maybe all the russian in that country could go to Russia

[dfxvoodoocards]

5:25 - He said that "half of Moldova's population" are russians... in reality just 4% are russians and 82% romanians (census 2014).

[Demosthenas]

Ah yes.. Another "Special military operation" about to begin.

[mikehart]

Sooo, suddenly Transnistria is afraid that Moldova will attack them. I'd think that if Moldova were able to attack them, they would have done it already. It is troubling that another front might be opened in the Russian-Ukrainian war but i honestly don't see how Russia would supply troops stationed in Transnistria from Russia. They can't seem to supply troop stationed just across the border from Russia.

[simtobos]

DW should sponsor the freelance journalists in this areas with camera stabilizers

[ingridjernej]

Most of transnistria belongs or is owned by one single person. The land the shops the factorys the soccer team etcetc and at least 90% works for him

[Loki]

This place is literally a mini Cold War Communist museum. Stuck in time.

[Scapestoat]

Ever since I became aware of Transnistria (I am ashamed to say only after Russia invaded the Ukraine, and territorial maps had a weird sliver in Moldova), it has become increasingly clear to me that it is the exact same thing that happened in Easter Ukraine, and I think was intended to be the next war, quickly following the "two day war" of taking over the Ukraine.

And increasingly, I have wondered; if Transnistrians truly want to be part of Russia again, then why don't they move there?

They appear to want at the same time to hold on to their homeland and join an other nation. Which seems to be unlike what any real person would ever want. So is there anything to this, except a puppetshow? A Russian play for a war with Moldova?

[srdapantovic]

This is out of the Kosovo play book, which the west has itself to thank.

[onetruekeeper]

A strange place to store weapons in a nation that does not like you next to a nation that want to harm you.

[peterbrooke]

So a few Russian troops are protecting a large Ammo Depot. I feel it about tiome that Transnistria was liberated.