​ PRESIDENT DODON MAINTAINS HE WILL NEVER LET MILITARY FORCE TO BE USED AGAINST TRANSNISTRIA

Moldova President Igor Dodon has stated in an interview with the official TASS news agency of the Russian Federation that as the country’s Supreme Commander-in-Chief, he will never issue an order to use military force against Transnistria.

In his words, there exist no real prerequisites for a war, though certain influential politicians in Moldova as well as abroad are interested in escalation of tension in this region of Europe.

“I mean first and foremost those who are afraid of losing power at the forthcoming parliamentary election [in late 2018 in Moldova]. Opinion polls are showing that after the 8 years of the catastrophic country governance by the pro-European parties, they have very few chances to win seats in the next Parliament. That’s why the leaders of our ruling Democratic Party are seeking to enlist the support of the United States, where there are influential politicians interested in confrontation with Moscow. They are putting pressure on President Trump, too, not to permit dialog with the Kremlin”, said the Moldovan President.

According to him, in order to please their foreign patrons, the Moldovan Democrats are standing up against the presidential course for restoration of strategic partnership between the Republic of Moldova and the Russian Federation.

“The list of such actions includes the ban on retransmission of Russian television channels in Moldova, expulsion of Russian diplomats and journalists from Chisinau and eventually the declaration of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin [who is President Putin’s Special Representative on Transnistria] as a persona non grata in Moldova. An active media campaign is being waged against “the militarist plans of the imperial Russia, which by means of a new war on the Dniester is allegedly planning to occupy southern Ukraine and overthrow pro-European regimes in Kiev and Chisinau””, said Igor Dodon.

In his words, the pro-European ruling coalition in Chisinau does not need a full-scale war on the Dniester, but a provocation against Transnistria in the run-up to a presidential election in Russia and a parliamentary election in Moldova would be indeed a zero-risk enterprise.

“This would further spoil the Moscow-Brussels relationship, which scenario is being longed for by certain American politicians. And in case Moscow does not undertake response actions, it would be possible to present the Russia leadership as a weak one and incapable of defending its own citizens [in Transnistria, which region is home to approximately 250 thousand residents having Russian passports]”, said President Igor Dodon.

To prevent an escalation of tension in Transnistria, the president demanded military subdivision commanders to inform him regularly and in detail about all military exercises and movements. As for the Moldovan Democratic Party leaders, Igor Dodon recommended them to pay attention to the destiny of former President of the Republic of Georgia Mihail Saakashvili, “who also used to flirt with the United States”.