Moldova will ask Western countries to help Transnistria, but on the condition that they withdraw Russian peacekeepers and replace them with a civilian mission of the UN or EU.
This was stated by the President of Moldova Maia Sandu, commenting on the situation in the unrecognized republic, which has been experiencing an energy crisis since the New Year due to the decision of the Ukrainian leadership to stop the transit of Russian gas.
“We are ready to provide financial assistance with foreign support on the left bank /b. of the Dniester River/, but this can happen when the Russian army leaves the territory and when the peacekeeping mission is replaced by a civilian mission under the auspices of the UN or EU“, Sandu said in an interview with journalist Nathan Garstea.
She noted the importance of international support for resolving the conflict in Transnistria, pointing to the complexity of the current situation and the need to resolve issues related to security and humanitarian assistance to the region's residents.
However, Tiraspol points out that a similar civilian mission in 1992 could not prevent military clashes that resulted in the deaths of more than a thousand people and tens of thousands of injuries.
Russian peacekeepers were introduced into the zone of armed conflict after the signing of an agreement on a peaceful settlement of the Transnistrian problem with Moldova on July 21, 1992. Currently, the Russian army maintains peace in the region together with the blue helmets of Moldova and Transnistria.