CHISINAU, January 9. /TASS/. Vadim Krasnoselsky, President of the unrecognized breakaway republic of Transnistria, said in an interview with TASS that he sees intensified arms supplies to Moldova as a threat.
"When our neighbor, with which there has been an unresolved conflict for more than 30 years and which has treacherously attacked our peaceful cities in the past, suddenly races to arm itself, naturally, that’s a threat," Krasnoselsky said.
"The militarization of Moldova is an aspect that we cannot but take into account. <…> In this case, money, equipment, weapons, and air defense radars are being supplied for a certain reason. Which one? Clearly other than protection, for all international players and even Western partners of the Republic of Moldova admit that Transnistria poses no threat to this country," the Transnistrian leader specified as he said that Chisinau "has not given any clear answers to these questions."
Last year, Moldova beefed up its defense budget and intensified weapons purchases as well as military cooperation with the United States, the European Union and NATO, which have been sending more weapons and military equipment to the republic. Russian peacekeepers control the border between Moldova and Transnistria in line with a 1992 agreement.
The Operational Group of Russian Forces in Transnistria (OGRF) are also deployed to Transnistria. The military task force of around 1,000 soldiers and officers guards over 20,000 metric tons of ammunition there.