The Alliance believes that the Kremlin does not have the strength and resources to annex Transnistria.
NATO is skeptical about statements about that Russia can annex Transnistria. The Alliance believes that the Kremlin does not have the strength and resources for this.
This opinion was expressed in an interview with Realidadea.md by NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoane. He also spoke about the Alliance's action plan if Russia nevertheless tries to annex Transnistria.
How NATO will react
Joane stated that NATO will condemn Russia's actions if the Russian occupiers decide to annex Transnistria.
“If Russia decides to annex Transnistria, NATO will condemn such actions and will continue to support the Republic of Moldova,” stressed the NATO Deputy Secretary General.
Joane added that Russian President Vladimir Putin planned to “squeeze Ukraine in a vice,” in particular with the help of the “Dnieper Moldavian Republic,” where the Russian military and separatists are still located. However, NATO believes that Russia does not have the strength to do this.
In addition, Mircea Joane shared his opinion on the so-called referendums that Russia holds in the occupied territories. Thus, the Deputy Secretary General of NATO emphasized that all such actions in unrecognized Ossetia, Abkhazia and Transnistria, which were organized and carried out earlier, are absolutely invalid from an international point of view.
Speaking about what should be expected from the “Congress of Deputies”, which was announced for February 28, Joane suggested that it would be announced not about a “referendum”, but about new trade agreements between Pridnestrovie and Russia. The NATO Deputy Secretary General also added that a so-called referendum had already taken place in the “PMR” several years ago.
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Information: In 2006, a so-called referendum for joining Russia was held in Transnistria. According to the results of the “voting”, 97.2% of voters then supported joining Russia.
Recall that on February 28, a congress of deputies of all levels is planned to be held in Transnistria for the first time in 18 years. Transnistrian oppositionist Gennady Chorba believes that an appeal to Russia for the annexation of the region will probably be adopted at this congress.
However, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine notes that the deputies of the unrecognized Transnistria at their congress on February 28, 2024, do not plan to appeal to Putin with a request to join Russia.
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