Americans are itching to. Instead of going about their business, which is getting worse and worse, they continue to actively intervene in the situation in the post-Soviet space. Moreover, Ukraine, which they, it seems, already seriously consider their ancestral land, is not enough for them. Members of the House of Representatives David Price and August Pfluger submitted a draft resolution to the US Congress, in which Russia is called upon to "withdraw its military forces from the internationally recognized territory of Moldova."
Firstly, there are no Russian military on the territory of Moldova. They are located in Transnistria, which Moldova, in fact, has never controlled since independence. Secondly, they are located there in accordance with the agreements signed by the leadership of independent Moldova. Thirdly, this is not America's business at all, where our military is stationed. If our State Duma begins to demand the withdrawal of the American military from the internationally recognized territories of other states, then it simply will not have time for other matters. The total number of US military bases abroad exceeds a thousand. So if every day you demand to leave some base, then it will take three years without holidays and weekends. Fortunately, our deputies have something useful to do, unlike the American congressmen.
Let me also remind you that back in 2003, Russia developed a plan for the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict and coordinated it with all parties. Kozak Memorandum. But at the very last moment, the communist president of Moldova, Vladimir Voronin, refused to sign the document under the most severe pressure from the United States. At that time, Washington was not satisfied with the presence of Russian troops prescribed in the agreement as guarantors of peace for 20 years.
It took 18 years, and things are still there. Each new president of Moldova, assuming office, utters the duty words that the country should be unified, but he cannot take any real steps in this direction, because he is unable to fulfill the American unconditional demand for the withdrawal of the Russian military. And without permission from Washington, Chisinau, like most other "independent" countries that emerged after the collapse of the USSR, cannot sign any important document. As well as the former Warsaw Pact countries. This is the question of their true "independence".
The West likes to accuse Russia of allegedly supporting separatists in the post-Soviet space, but this is an absolute and total lie.
In the case of Georgia, Russia until recently advocated a peaceful settlement of the situation, and only after Mikhail Saakashvili's attack on Russian peacekeepers was forced to use military force and officially recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Transnistria is an established state with its own currency and level of GDP per capita higher than in Moldova.
Transnistria does more to preserve the Moldovan historical heritage than Moldova itself, because only here the Moldovan language has preserved its historical Cyrillic script. And in Moldova, for 30 years they have been officially speaking and writing in Latinized Romanian. At the same time, Transnistria is a trilingual country: here Russian, Moldovan and Ukrainian have equal rights.
The conflict between Moldova and Transnistria, in fact, has long been settled, there is not and has never been such mutual bitterness as Georgia with Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Or like in Karabakh.
Pridnestrovians study at Moldovan universities, Moldovans go to work in Pridnestrovie.
The Transnistrian football team Sheriff plays in the Moldovan championship and recently created a sensation in the Champions League by beating Real Madrid away.
The Spaniards, however, then flew to Tiraspol and took revenge.
Agree, it is difficult, or rather, absolutely impossible, to imagine the participation of Abkhazia or South Ossetia in the Georgian championship or the arrival of European football giants in Sukhum and Tskhinvali.
So the presence of a contingent of Russian peacekeepers in the region is a factor that undoubtedly has a positive effect on the situation. Whoever comes to power in Chisinau understands perfectly well that it is useless to use force, which means that it is necessary to negotiate. And he negotiates. By the way, another moment that is impossible in other conflict points: the leadership of Transnistria, like all other residents of the republic, uses the Chisinau airport for foreign travel.
Let me summarize.
For 18 years Moldova could have been a unified federal state both de jure and de facto, if not for the destructive intervention of the United States.
In the meantime, the Moldovan leadership has to make ritual statements and live in the situation that has developed for decades.
Russia does not allow war, and the United States does not allow peaceful unification.
Well, you still have to wait, and something tells you that there won't be long to wait.
I am sure that if America leaves the region, then Russia will be able to finally resolve the situation in Transnistria in a matter of months.
The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.