Moldovan black pentacle: Plahotniuc and Poroshenko attack Transnistria
Among the popular myths and legends of our time, stories about the notorious Bermuda Triangle enjoy unfading popularity. A bad place where ships and planes disappear, and all the laws of nature known to us are allegedly violated.
However, those who dig even a little deeper into what is happening very close to us, in the space of the recent Soviet republics, will be able to be convinced: all these mysterious outrages of very dubious authenticity simply fade next to the absolutely real, and from this even more terrible, deeds that have turned two parts of the former Moldavian SSR into a kind of “black pentacle” of the post-Soviet space.
A pentagon, the sides of which are Moldova, the unrecognized Transnistrian Moldavian Republic (PMR), bordering Ukraine, Romania, which has always strived to absorb these ex-parts of the USSR, and Russia, thanks to the presence of a peacekeeping military contingent, which, in fact, has existed for more than a quarter of a century rebellious Transnistria.
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The events of recent days have again attracted public attention to this eternally problematic backyard of Europe. Brazen and absolutely inconsistent with any international norms, the refusal of the Romanian authorities to allow a plane carrying Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who was flying to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the peacekeeping operation of the 14th Russian Army, which saved Transnistria from the bloody massacre of pro-Romanian Moldovan nationalists, through their airspace, became yet another a reason to try to understand what is happening in this troubled corner.
And in order to at least a little clarify the extremely alarming situation for our readers, we will allow ourselves to combine an analysis of what is happening with some historical excursions and line portraits of the main characters in politics in both Moldova and the PMR. So…
Blockade of the recalcitrant PMR
The PMR is the part of the former Soviet Moldova that is historically and ethnically least connected with it. After all, it was its territory, with its current capital Tiraspol and the large (by local standards) cities of Bendery, Dubossary and Grigoriopol, that had been part of the Russian Empire since the mid-XNUMXth century. And even after the unceremonious occupation by Romania during the Civil War of Moldova, these lands remained part of the USSR, becoming an autonomous Moldavian Republic, part of Ukraine.
Without the opportunity or need to give you a history course, I will note only one thing, the main thing for understanding: the 500 thousand population of this part of the former MSSR was made up of approximately equal numbers of Russians, Ukrainians and Moldovans. And that is why, back in 1990, a year before the collapse of the Union, against the background of the growth of absolutely cavernous, fierce Moldovan-Romanian nationalism, Transnistria declared its independence from Chisinau.
In 1992, literally saved by the Russian 14th Army stationed there from the massacre started by pro-Romanian militants, Transnistria finally took an independent path.
Let us note that it was this part of the former Soviet Moldova that was the most industrially developed, having a strong light and food industry and its own source of electricity, the Moldavian hydroelectric power station, which provided almost half of the competitive output of the republic, and was by no means wasted during the years of its unrecognized independence in the world.
Until recently, part of the republic’s production went directly to Ukraine. After all, the PMR borders the Odessa region, and long-standing trade ties were maintained despite the controversial status of the republic.
However, everything is in the past now. Chisinau and Kyiv began a joint blockade of Transnistria. In July, Poroshenko inaugurated Moldovan border checkpoints on the border with the PMR. The cargo flow towards the Ukrainian side was completely in the hands of a priori unfriendly Moldovan border guards and customs.
As a result, traditional trade has been significantly undermined to the detriment of the interests of both Pridnestrovians and their business partners from the Odessa region. And this blockade can become complete at any moment!
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It should be noted that I do not intend to idealize the PMR. Alas, like all state formations that are quite isolated from the world, the PMR has its own characteristics. In this case, it is the strict monopoly of a certain structure called a business group or the Sheriff concern. This association of key enterprises of the republic, from the late 90s to the early 2000s, literally crushed the entire business of a small but proud country. From supermarkets - to the largest enterprises - and the famous Tiraspol wine and cognac factory "Quint", and shoe and food factories...
Currently, formally “Sheriff” controls about 52% of the entire PMR industry. In fact, not a single serious undertaking can be completed without his participation and control. Moreover, all the presidents of Transnistria were, in one way or another, tied to this basis of well-being. From Igor Smirnov to the now ruling Vadim Krasnoselsky. Former Minister of Internal Affairs, Major General of the Police, retired Speaker of Parliament and... in 2012-15, chief of the security service of this iconic structure.
Knowledgeable people say that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko also seeks to seize Sheriff’s assets. And his business partner is a man who is called the “gray eminence of Moldova.” This is its largest oligarch, Vlad Plahotniuc. A man who has, perhaps, the most odious reputation not only in Europe, but also overseas.
A man with many nicknames and faces
...At different times he was called differently “Shmarovoz”, “Vlad-talonchik”... In recent years, the nickname “Puppeteer” has firmly stuck to this very extraordinary figure.
The richest man in Moldova. 51-year-old Vlad (Vladimir) Plahotniuc has created an incredible career. Coming from a poor, large family, this graduate of the Chisinau Polytechnic Institute amassed a huge fortune, officially amounting to about 300 million dollars, but in reality amounting to large billions in the late 90s and early 2000s. Moreover, if even a tenth of what was leaked to the press and appears in Interpol materials is true, then he can safely be called one of the most terrible people in the post-Soviet world.
After all, it is not without reason that he is credited with pimping on a scale both in Moldova and throughout Europe - from the organization of underground brothels in Chisinau to the trade in “live goods” supplied to the countries of the Middle East and the Balkans; arms trade - his name appeared in the case of the notorious “arms king” Viktor Bout, who has been in an American prison for many years, the prototype of the hero of the famous film played by Niclas Cage, involvement in global drug trafficking and all kinds of smuggling.
And this is in addition to the fact that Plahotniuc became famous in his homeland as the largest raider and “godfather” of the local mafia, who seized literally the vast majority of profitable enterprises and sectors of the Moldavian economy using the most savage, cruel methods.
And he has gotten away with all this for decades, because he is at the same time a person close to literally all the presidents of his small country, their adviser and friend. Let us note, despite their completely different political courses. From the communist Voronin to the current socialist Dodon. And, moreover, almost all the political forces in Moldova operating today are, one way or another, tied to it. And zealous supporters of the absorption of Moldova by Romania, denying the very right of its people to independent existence, and completely loyal to Russia.
“Puppeteer” Plahotniuc, as his fellow citizens nicknamed him, deftly and insidiously manipulates diametrically opposed forces, preferring to be not a player, but the owner of a “political casino” called “Independent Moldova.” After all, the owner of the gambling house always wins!
The key to his influence is both his powerful charisma and his tough ability to use incriminating evidence on politicians of all stripes and trends. And - absolute unscrupulousness in funds. From blackmail and bribery to direct violence.
And just recently, the West was seriously considering the candidacy of “Gospodar Vlad” for the post of President of Moldova. Despite the entire array of compromising evidence against him! Apparently, according to the principle “Son of a bitch, but our son of a bitch!” The potential candidate even flew to Washington, where he was received by leading politicians.
But... for some time he became not entirely pleasing to the States, trying to push through a law on parliamentary elections, which would have given him completely uncontrolled power in the country. And... the political career of Plahotniuc, who was even called the “Moldovan Poroshenko,” clearly hinting at his chances of becoming a pro-Western head of the country, was formally slowed down.
Which, however, did not deprive him of his influence. After all, today’s “pro-Russian” socialist president Igor Dodon is, in fact, also his creature, tied by long-standing ties from the time of Voronin, when Dodon was the Minister of Economy and Trade. And his statements recently that he came to a common opinion on how to integrate the PMR into the Republic of Moldova with his pro-Western political opponents (read - pro-Romanian!) indicate one thing: Dodon, like his predecessors, will increase pressure in every possible way in Transnistria, trying to achieve its return to the fold of the country as an “autonomy”. As well as his attempts to put pressure on the leadership of Transnistria, reaching the point of direct blackmail. They say that the Ukrainian side will completely close the transit across the border of cars with Pridnestrovian license plates...
Plahotniuc is also making good use of his old connections with Petro Poroshenko. After all, “Puppeteer” is connected with the current Ukrainian president by old friendship and business interests. Poroshenko more than once directly acted in Ukraine in favor of Plahotniuc, persecuting his enemies from Moldova. Up to and including expulsion from the country! And the common interests of Poroshenko and Plahotniuc are limited to the same PMR.
Epicenter of the "pentacle"
Having failed to “break off” the rebellious republic politically, in recent years they have been trying to gradually conquer it from within. There is a threat that “Sheriff,” which has key positions in an unrecognized country, could slowly, through a multi-stage system of buying up shares and subordinating units, fall into the hands of Plahotniuc and... his friend and accomplice Petro Poroshenko.
Is it surprising that both of these figures are interested in both the blockade of the PMR by Ukraine and the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers? And the interests here are twofold: economically - Transnistria can become the largest center for transshipment of any goods in both directions, including weapons and drugs, using access to the sea through Odessa.
Under a blockade, when the border is in the hands of Moldovans and Ukrainian officials, smuggling can turn into a “national trade” under the control of the Moldovan oligarch and his Ukrainian friend, the president.
And in the event of the “integration” of the PMR, there will be complete freedom for both black business under national flags and the expansion of legal transactions between Poroshenko and Plahotniuc and their associates. The prospects are huge! Customs will give the go-ahead!
Politically, Ukraine will get rid of Russian troops in the rear, and Moldova, one way or another, will be able to strangle the PMR in a “brotherly embrace”, making it an “autonomy” with nominal rights that can be canceled at any time without the presence of guarantors of their observance, Russian soldiers .
In this situation, Russia is simply obliged to say its weighty word, especially since more than 200 thousand citizens of the Russian Federation live in the PMR. And no situational “pro-Russian” declarations, sometimes heard from Chisinau, can be a basis for surrendering Tiraspol, an outpost of Russia, to the mercy of unreliable “allies.”
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