Tiraspol, December 1. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. The civilian mission cannot replace the peacekeeping format. War and bloodshed can only be stopped by peacekeepers, as happened almost 30 years ago in Pridnestrovie and recently in Nagorno-Karabakh. Leonid Kalashnikov, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, expressed this opinion on the air of the Russia 24 TV channel, commenting on the recent statements of the President-elect of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu about the necessity to withdraw Russian peacekeepers from Pridnestrovie.
The parliamentarian noted, that all the pro-Russian campaign speeches of Maia Sandu as expected ended immediately after her election.
“Sandu, instead of consolidating the population of her country, started with what the West wanted to hear from her. And first of all she announced the withdrawal of the peacekeepers. What does she want? A new war? Moldovan politicians don’t want to learn by experience of others for some reason,” Leonid Kalashnikov said.
Returning to Maia Sandu’s statements about replacing the peacekeeping format to a civilian mission, the head of the Duma committee expressed confidence, that this was prohibitively.
“A civilian mission cannot replace a peacekeeping one. We see this in the example of Donbass. The OSCE can, at best, record which side is violating what. But she cannot defend either side. These are illusions. Such statements are being made for some Western structures,” Leonid Kalashnikov stressed.
He also suggested, that the new Moldovan leader will not take any real steps to resolve the Moldovan-Pridnestrovian conflict.
“This rhetoric is intended for future parliamentary elections. The role of the president in Moldova is very limited by law. It’s has more ceremonial character. The main power lies in the hands of the Government and Parliament. The Sandu party (editor’s note – “Action and Solidarity”) has not yet won the parliamentary elections, and it expects to quickly win there against the background of its presidential victory. If she succeeds, then we will talk about whether she will do something really, and not just “crowing” once again about the withdrawal of peacekeepers,” Leonid Kalashnikov summed up.
We remind, that Moldovan President-elect Maia Sandu has repeatedly stated the necessity to withdraw Russian peacekeepers from Pridnestrovie and change the peacekeeping format to a civilian mission.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation noted, that the statements of Maia Sandu on the peacekeepers are aimed at undermining the efforts for a peaceful settlement of the Moldovan-Pridnestrovian conflict.
It should be reminded, that in July 1992 Russia stopped the armed aggression of Moldova against Pridnestrovie. Previously, several conciliated commissions, including those with the participation of international representatives, tried to stop the war on the Dniester. The bloodshed stopped only with the arrival of the Russian peacekeepers.
The peacekeeping operation under the auspices of the Russian Federation has been implemented in Pridnestrovie since 1992 on the basis of interstate agreements. In addition to the Russian Federation, the parties to the conflict: PMR and RM as well as a group of military observers from Ukraine take part in it.
The Russian peacekeeping contingent is formed from the Operational Group of Russian Forces in Pridnestrovie.
The Russian peacekeeping operation in Pridnestrovie is considered one of the most successful in history: since 1992, hostilities have not been resumed.
