Zelenskyy states about Transnistria-related risks due to changes in Moldovan parliament
The unrecognized Transnistria received signals from Ukraine at the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion, so it is behaving quietly, but there may be various changes due to a possible change in the Moldovan parliament, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
"If there are people in Transnistria today who are in the leadership of this territory, because no one considers Transnistria to be a country, it is an occupied territory of Moldova. Therefore, the people who are there today are quiet. Because they are afraid of us.... And they know, because they all received signals from us at the beginning of the war. There were a couple of shots from this territory," Zelenskyy said during a briefing on Saturday.
He said Russia really wants to influence Moldova, and influence begins with politics.
"If there are its own parties in parliament, then the next step is to have its own government. Of course, to have its own president. And after that there is a military presence. In principle, this is the direction in which Russia is acting," the president said.
According to him, it is important for Ukraine, Europe and Moldova to have a pro-European president, Maia Sandu, who treats Ukraine with friendliness and respect and respects the sovereignty and real integrity of our state.
On the other hand, he said if the policy in Moldova is not pro-European, but pro-Russian, then, accordingly, people in "Transnistria," "who are quiet, can be loud," since several thousand Russian servicemen are based there.
"Yes, if there are changes in parliament, there may be other changes later. That's what I'm talking about, where there is a risk. Risks for everyone," Zelenskyy explained.
