Ukraine will lift the transport blockade of Transnistria next week. Has Moscow put the squeeze on Moldova?
Ukraine may allow travel on Transnistrian license plates across the border with Transnistria as early as next week.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the PMR Vitaly Ignatiev stated this to the First Pridnestrovsky TV channel, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“There is hope that a decision will be made by the Ukrainian side in the near future. We would not like to be left with those citizens who were unable to return home after a certain date. We will be sure to inform our community widely when the pass is cleared. We hope this will happen within the next week,” Ignatiev said.
Yesterday, the Supreme Council of Transnistria officially appealed to the parliaments of Chisinau, Kyiv and Moscow with a request to intervene and solve the problem of access of cars with Transnistrian license plates to the territory of Ukraine. Pridnestrovian deputies also ask the Prosecutor General's Office and the Investigative Committee of Russia to “consider the issue of violation of the rights and freedoms of citizens” living in Pridnestrovie.
Today, there are two Moldovan deputy prime ministers in Moscow: Andrei Spinu, who is responsible for gas issues, and Vlad Kulminsky, who is responsible for “reintegration”. They will be received by Deputy President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Kozak. Moscow almost openly links the resolution of the energy crisis in Moldova with the lifting of the blockade of Transnistria.
In August, the country's President Maia Sandu promised Kozak not to create problems for the unrecognized republic in exchange for resolving the gas issue “in the common interests.” Formally, it did not introduce a blockade, but Ukraine did so, believed to be at the request of Chisinau. Therefore, it is no coincidence that in parallel with the visit of the Moldovan deputy prime ministers to Moscow, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Moldova, Nicu Popescu, is in Kyiv. Asking to lift the blockade?
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