President Yevgeny Shevchuk told Rossiyskaya Gazeta journalists about the unprecedented pressure the neighbours are exerting on Pridnestrovie. He noted that both Ukrainian and Moldovan politicians declare that it is time that the Pridnestrovian problem was resolved in a radical way. Some statements made by Ukraine's leadership express their desire to «defrost the conflict». Moldova's leadership, in its turn, demands that the Russian troops be withdrawn.
«We have the information that the coordination centre that is influencing policy makers in Kiev and Kishinev has launched a plan to strengthen economic pressure on the PMR. Its targets are as follows: to stifle Pridnestrovie's economy with a 'soft cushion', thus provoking serious social problems and as a result public discontent; then stimulate mass protest and, referring to 'the destabilised situation', try to transform the peacekeeping operation; create conditions for bringing Moldovan, and possibly Romanian, armed forces into Pridnestrovie," said Shevchuk.
He expressed opinion that the current unprecedented economic blockade, restrictions of citizens' freedom of movement, criminal prosecution of Pridnestrovie's officials are just part of the scenario aimed at destroying the PMR and its forced integration into Moldova.
The president highlighted the main goal of these activities — to weaken the Russian Federation.
«It is evident that a number of Western states are pushing all the pain spots of Russia, which is the guarantor of our peace and prosperity, trying to weaken it and suck it into a conflict. The Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic has been under such permanent attacks for all 25 years of its existence. It was not accepted to talk about it: this topic was not popular among the Western mass media," said Yevgeny Shevchuk.
He underscored that today's pressure on the country is «the most cynical and complex».
«We are under tough attacks on all fronts. We are confronting economic, diplomatic, information wars, which are all part of the hybrid warfare against Pridnestrovie. This war does not aim to press. It is already evident: it aims to destroy," said the president.
