New tension on the Transnistria border

Having recently found its way out of a political deadlock and having just terminated negotiations on a free-trade agreement with the European Union, Moldova is rattled by fears of a military confrontation. "Moldavia fears possible renewed military hostilities, says Moldovan daily Jurnal de Chişinău, on June 20, ahead of a parliamentary debate regarding "how to respond to the provocation of the authorities of Tiraspol," the capital of the breakaway republic of Transnistria.

On June 10, the Supreme Soviet, or parliament, of the pro-Russian province unilaterally re-drew the border with Moldova. This moved three villages that were previously designated Moldovan, into Transnistria. In April, Transnistrian military forces tried to install sentry boxes in the village of Varniţa, now located along the new border but the villagers forced them out.

Meanwhile on May 1, the Moldovans installed new border check points along the Transnistria border in order to conform to European standards.

For the paper, Russia, which maintains a peace-keeping force in Transnistria, takes a dim view of the free-trade and free movement agreement reached between Moldova and the EU, because it fears that large numbers of Transnistrians will ask for Moldovan citizenship:

In a press release reminiscent of the beginnings of the 2008 Georgia War [over South Ossetia], Moscow is calling on Chisinau and Tiraspol to "abstain from unilateral actions that could lead to a conflict." But it does nothing to persuade Transnistrian President Yevgeny Shevchuk to end the expansion.

Another Moldovan daily Timpul notes that the Varniţa incident is "a sword of Damocles," because the Shevchuk Decree, ratifying the Supreme Soviet's decision to retrace the border, will enter into force on June 24 –

Will Russian peace-keeping troops intervene if the aggressors, Transnistrian soldiers, occupy Varniţa? […] The Shevchuk Decree is a permanent declaration of war.