The war between Russia and Ukraine has now advanced into its second year, with both the war-torn countries dealing with impacts on their economy and international pressure. In the midst of this war, a small bordering country called Moldova, which is home to the region of Transnistria, is suffering.
Moldova is a small country which is sharing a border with Ukraine and is currently involved in a tussle with Russia. The small nation is also seeking membership in the European Union and has come under the crosshairs of Russia in the midst of the war.
Transnistria is a small breakaway region inside Moldova but has conflicting ideologies with its home country which is making the involvement of the country in the Russia-Ukraine war all the more complicated. Here is all you need to know about Moldova and Transnistria.
Where is Transnistria? Its importance in Russia-Ukraine war
Moldova is a small country that shares a border with Ukraine and Romania. It is one of the poorest countries in Europe and is currently seeking membership in the European Union, in the midst of the impact faced by the Russia-Ukraine war.
Transnistria is a breakaway region in Moldova and is officially known as the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. While Transnistria doesn’t often relate to the ideology of Moldova, it is internationally recognized as a part of the country.
The controversy involving Moldova and Transnistria is that while Moldova sympathizes with Ukraine and publicly condemned the actions of Russia in the war, Transnistria is a region that has strong Russian ties and is largely supported by the Russian military.
Internationally, Transnistria is a part of Moldova but it has a dominant Russian ideology as it is mostly run by pro-Russian separatists. Russia has been interested in Transnistria because their control in the region can prevent Moldova from fully having access to their borders on the Ukraine side.
The presence of Russian troops has now worried the Moldovan government since they feel that their small nation could be the next target of the Russian invasion, especially due to its sympathy with Ukraine in the midst of the war.
Moldova has a population of just 2.6 million people, with just 6000 military troops, which are expected to be no match for Russian forces. This has now led to heightened tensions between the two countries, with Transnistria acting as a crucial point in the tussle.
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