Tiraspol, 8 November. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. The Russian peacekeepers are the foundation of the peacekeeping operation because it is their presence that maintains peace in Pridnestrovie. Tiraspol will never agree to their withdrawal. This was Pridnestrovie's attitude towards statements that Ukraine has decided to provide «a green corridor» for the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR). As reported by the Moldovan and Ukrainian media, this is what the defence ministers of Moldova and Ukraine, Anatolie Șalaru and Stepan Poltorak, have agreed upon. Pridnestrovie sees it as an attempt to unfreeze the conflict.
Moldova and Ukraine have agreed upon the withdrawal of Russian troops without taking into account the views of Russia and Pridnestrovie. Kiev and Kishinev believe that international organisations, which will exert pressure on Moscow, will help them to «withdraw» the Russian military from the PMR. Tiraspol considers the Moldo-Ukrainian idea dangerous and having nothing to do with objective reality. As Pridnestrovian President Yevgeny Shevchuk told Izvesia, after the well-known events in Kiev authorities of Moldova and Ukraine have intensified cooperation on the Pridnestrovian issue.
«The first steps have already been taken by them to block railway communication, restrict the movement of our citizens with Russian passports, restrict the supply of certain goods. Besides, we can see closer coordination in the field of military and technical cooperation and special service contacts, and the increasing number of secret service officers from NATO countries appear in Kiev and Kishinev. With regard to the information about the „corridor agreement“, the population of the PMR will never back this idea, and to date the Russian peacekeepers are the foundation of the peacekeeping operation because it is their presence that maintains peace in Pridnestrovie. Kishinev hawks are trying with the support of Kiev to fulfil its dream — to withdraw Russian troops until the process of a final political settlement. This is a very dangerous initiative because differences between Tiraspol and Kishinev exist and they are even worsening. Attempts by Moldova and Kiev to destroy the peacekeeping operation are posing risks of the conflict developing into a more active phase, which is unacceptable. Why is it done? To create another hot spot or unfreeze the conflict?» said Yevgeny Shevchuk.
The head of Pridnestrovie recalled that last year the Ukrainian president paid a visit to Romania where he «put forth an initiative to unfreeze the conflict», which is why a series of similar events and statements is a matter of concern to Pridnestrovians. Moreover, according to him, the 5+2 format (Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, OSCE, Pridnestrovie and the United States, the EU) has not actually worked this year because no «efficient meeting has been held as before».
When diplomatic mechanisms do not work, it is even more dangerous to shift polemics to the military specter, which is alarming to us. Kishinev and Kiev are negotiating over «a corridor» without discussing it in the relevant formats, without consideration of the Joint Control Commission, which heads the peacekeeping operation and where the main link is the Russian Federation, and without the «5+2 format». Without diplomatic tools, they are trying to establish mechanisms of pressure on Pridnestrovie to oust the Russian military from there. At the end of 2014 it was decided to put a ban on the transit of military cargoes through Ukraine, which created difficulties for the Russian servicemen. I see these statements and actions as links of the same chain, whose aim is to force Russia out of the region, and particularly the Russian military engaged in the peacekeeping operation. It is certainly a warning bell for us in Pridnestrovie.
The press service of Pridnestrovie's MFA has noted, in turn, it is rather difficult to comment on such «initiatives» by Kishinev and Kiev.
«The position of Pridnestrovie's MFA is that it is not the first time when such inadequate statements and so-called ideas having little to do with objective reality are voiced by the Moldovan side. Therefore, in this situation, the MFA of the PMR is unable to comment on anything regarding these 'initiatives'," the foreign ministry told Izvestia.
Meanwhile, the chair of the State Duma committee for CIS affairs, Leonid Kalashnikov, said in an interview with Izvestia that such information appeared in the media due to the upcoming second round of presidential elections in Moldova.
«They will try to play this card, but nobody has agreed upon it with Pridnestrovie. What «corridor» are we generally talking about? Are they under occupation? There is a negotiation format, and the rest is «pro-poor' talks because you cannot decide their fate without Pridnestrovie. If they want, let them discuss [it], but this will not resolve the issue. They have already tried to address problems in South Ossetia and Abkhazia in this way. Without the participation of all sides, they can only bring problems on themselves — the PMR may finally gain independence," the MP believes.
Source: Izvestia
Author: Aleksey Zabrodin
