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Transnistria may respond to Ukraine’s unfriendly actions — expert

As for Russian peacekeepers located in Transnistria, the expert stressed that nothing threatens them, their "status is quite obvious

MOSCOW, June 28. /TASS/. Ukraine’s unfriendly actions with regards to Transnistria may result in a response, a senior research fellow of the Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO) and an expert of the Valdai international discussion club told TASS.

"Sudden unfriendly actions may lead to retaliatory measures on the part of Transnistria," Dmitry Ofitserov-Belsky said on Monday commenting on remarks by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky on the readiness to strike the region in case of a threat.

As for Russian peacekeepers located in Transnistria, the expert stressed that nothing threatens them, their "status is quite obvious." "I don’t think that anything threatens them. Otherwise, Ukrainian troops, probably, should attempt to invade Moldova’s territory in order to attack the Russian peacekeepers. We live in such a surrealistic world that anything can happen but I don’t think that this is something probable," he added.

The expert also noted that Ukraine is supporting Moldova in the situation with Transnistria yet "settling the conflict and helping authorities in Chisinau are two different things." "Ukraine tries to call the unfriendly actions with regards to Ukraine as measures on settling the conflict. <...> Of course, it provides aid - by means of pressure on Transnistria, isolation, blockade and halting supplies," he explained.

Earlier, at a joint press conference with Moldovan President Maia Sandu following a meeting in Kiev, the Ukrainian leader stated that he was ready to respond with a strike to a hypothetical threat on the part of Transnistria. That said, he emphasized that it was necessary to avoid destabilization in the region.