CHISINAU, July 16. /TASS/. A possible NATO strike on Transnistria would jeopardize the international conflict resolution process, said Andrey Safonov, a member of Transnistria’s Supreme Council, commenting on a statement by the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) that the alliance is actively preparing to involve Moldova as a "battering ram" in a potential armed conflict with Russia.
"Russian intelligence has revealed a NATO plan in which Romania allegedly also seeks to claim Odessa, Nikolaev, and Southern Bessarabia. There’s just one question: do they have a plan to attack Transnistria? Most likely they do. Will it be launched? Not necessarily – but not because of the 'kindness' of our 'sworn friends,' rather because they have other plans for Transnistria: to encircle it and force it to surrender. Nothing will come of this because we are not alone," Safonov wrote on Facebook (banned in Russia, owned by Meta, which is recognized as extremist in the country).
He also cited media reports about the deployment of military advisers from Romania and France to Moldova. "This is just the army personnel, not to mention scouts and various special forces – French and British NATO troops. What could come next? All this paves the way for the introduction of Western and Romanian contingents into Moldova, especially considering a possible invasion of British and French forces into southern Ukraine to capture Odessa, Nikolaev, and so on," Safonov argued. He stressed that the deployment of Western and Romanian troops into Moldova would mark the complete collapse of dialogue on the Transnistrian conflict.
"The entry of Romanian and NATO troops into Moldova would terminate any negotiations on settling the Moldovan-Transnistrian conflict, as it would de facto mean war between NATO and Russia, whose troops are stationed on Transnistrian soil. Let the former Moldavian Soviet republic remain a territory of peace. Military involvement will only bring grief to everyone," he emphasized.
Parliamentary elections in Moldova are set for September 28. Currently, the president’s powers in Moldova are limited, with real authority held by the government, which is appointed by the parliamentary majority. In October 2024, President Maia Sandu lost the presidential election to her rival, former Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo, nominated by the Socialists. However, she managed to secure a second term in the second round thanks to votes from over 300,000 Moldovan labor migrants, for whom the authorities had opened more than 200 polling stations across EU countries.
The leaders of the largest opposition parties accused Sandu of rigging the election and usurping power with the support of Western financial donors. They refused to recognize her legitimacy.