Transnistria's request for protection from Russia comes from a well-known script from the Kremlin. "An old pattern is threatening to repeat itself, in which Russia's smaller neighboring countries, which have opted for freedom and democracy, are becoming the target of the Kremlin's aggression," says Green Party leader Omid Nouripour.

Moldova is one of the countries that submitted an application to join the European Union after the Russian attack on Ukraine in spring 2022. Under international law, the region in which Ukrainians, Russians and Moldovans live belongs to Moldova.