Russia is using Transnistria to destabilize Moldova and derail its EU accession process. While helping Chișinău tackle its energy crisis, Brussels should directly engage with Transnistria and factor it into its enlargement and economic policies.
An extraordinary parliamentary session in Transnistria was a bid to attract international attention and a signal that the de facto state is ready to escalate.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu is going all in on EU integration successes as she looks to win presidential elections in the fall.
Not only will reabsorbing the breakaway region be expensive and complicated, but Russia is unlikely to cede its influence without a fight.
The de facto state of Transnistria and its dispute with Moldova has always been a peripheral matter for the international community. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it has faded even further into the background.
The prospect of further enlargement presents the EU with multiple institutional, policy, and financial dilemmas. The successful integration of Ukraine and other candidate countries will require pragmatism, reforms, and transitional arrangements.
The European Commission president’s remarks will be a guide for understanding how she might navigate upcoming turbulence.
