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Russia–Transnistria relations

Russia-Transnistria relations
Map indicating locations of Russia and Transnistria

Russia
Transnistria

Russia–Transnistria relations are the bilateral relations between the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (Transnistria), an unrecognised breakaway state that is internationally recognised as part of Moldova, and the Russian Federation. Russia does not officially recognise the independence of Transnistria; nevertheless, Russia maintains special relations with Transnistria in the political, military, cultural, and economic spheres.

History

The state of Transnistria was created by local economic elites with special relations to the Soviet and later Russian political centre.[1]

During the reign of Igor Smirnov (1991–2011) maintaining special relations with Russia was a priority of Transnistrian foreign policy.[2] In the 2006 Transnistrian independence referendum, 98.07% of Transnistrians voted for independence and potential future integration into Russia.

Russia is a member of the 5+2 format for negotiating a settlement of the Transnistria conflict established during Smirnov's rule.[3] At the end of his tenure however, Russia pushed for a change at the helm of the state in the 2011 Transnistrian presidential election.[4]

During a visit to Kyiv in 2010, President Dmitri Medvedev said he supported a "special status" for Transnistria and recognised the "important and stabilising" role of the Russian army.[5] In the early 2010s, experts estimated that Russia is aiming for a so-called "Taiwanisation" of Transnistria.[6]

In 2021, the Transnistrian foreign minister Vitaly Ignatiev visited Russia and met with a Russian Ambassador-at-Large. During their conversation, the two representatives discussed various fields of Russian-Transnistrian relations, including the COVID-19 pandemic in Transnistria.[7]

On 22 April 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian major general Rustam Minnekayev said that one of the objectives of the invasion was to establish a land corridor with occupied Transnistria, claiming that there was "evidence that the Russian-speaking population is being oppressed" in the region without giving further detail on the issue.[8][9]

In February 2024, Transnistria officials asked Russia for "protection" while accusing Moldova of blocking imports in an "economic war" and turning the region into a "ghetto".

Consular relations

In 2012, Russia opened a consulate in Transnistria, despite protests of the government of Moldova.[10] Nevertheless, Russia has not recognized Transnistria as an independent state.

In 2017, Transnistria opened a provisional bureau in Moscow.[11] Alexandru Caraman, former vice-president of Transnistria (1990–2001) and former foreign minister of the Donetsk People's Republic (2014), led the bureau, which was shortly thereafter closed.[12] Two years later, an official diplomatic bureau of Transnistria was opened in Moscow.[13] Later that year, the Transnistrian government asked Russian authorities if they could issue passports and other documents in the diplomatic bureau.[14] The bureau is located in Povarskaya Street and currently led by Leonid Manakov, the Vice President of the Lawyer’s Union of the Russian Federation.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ Jan Zofka: Postsowjetischer Separatismus: Die pro-russländischen Bewegungen im moldauischen Dnjestr-Tal und auf der Krim 1989–1995, Göttingen: Wallstein Verlag, 2015, passim.
  2. ^ Marcin Kosienkowski: Continuity and Change in Transnistria’s Foreign Policy after the 2011 Presidential Elections, Lublin: The Catholic University of Lublin Publishing House, 2012, p. 23. Available here.
  3. ^ Socor, Vladimir (26 September 2018). "De-sovereignization: testing a conflict-resolution model at Moldova's expense in Transnistria (part two)". Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original on 10 June 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Witold Rodkiewicz/Agata Wierzbowska-Miazga: Russia is pushing for a change of power in Transnistria, osw.waw.pl/en/ 9 November 2011". 9 November 2011. Archived from the original on 2020-04-11. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
  5. ^ "Anne-Marie Blajan: The Transnistrian conflict: Russia and Ukraine talk about "coordinated effort", American analysts consider the US has abandoned the neighbourhood to Russia, english.hotnews.ro 18 May 2010". 18 May 2010. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  6. ^ "Witold Rodkiewicz: Russia's strategy towards Moldova: continuation or change?, osw.waw.pl/en/ 19 April 2012". 19 April 2012. Archived from the original on 2021-08-11. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
  7. ^ "Виталий Игнатьев встретился с Послом по особым поручениям МИД России Виталием Тряпицыным (Vitaly Ignatiev met with Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry Vitaly Tryapitsyn), Transnistrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2 April 2021". 2 April 2021. Archived from the original on 2 April 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  8. ^ Hubenko, Dmytro (22 April 2022). "Russia eyes route to Trans-Dniester: What do we know?". Deutsche Welle.
  9. ^ "Russia plans to seize Donbas, southern Ukraine: Military official". Al Jazeera. 22 April 2022.
  10. ^ Helena Rytövuori-Apunen: Power and Conflict in Russia’s Borderlands: The Post-Soviet Geopolitics of Dispute Resolution, London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019, p. 122. Google Books preview here. Archived 2021-08-11 at the Wayback Machine.
  11. ^ "Cristi Vlas: Representation office of Transnistria was opened in Moscow, Russia, moldova.org 26. January 2017". 26 January 2017. Archived from the original on 2019-04-18. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  12. ^ "Mădălin Necșuțu: Breakaway Moldova Region to Open 'Embassy' in Russia, balkaninsight.com 14. January 2019". 14 January 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-08-15. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  13. ^ "Robert O'Connor: Transnistria Isn't the Smuggler's Paradise It Used to Be, foreignpolicy.com 5. June 2019". Archived from the original on 2020-09-01. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  14. ^ "Mădălin Necșuțu: Transnistria Seeks Russia's Blessing to Issue Passports in Moscow, balkaninsight.com 7. October 2019". 7 October 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-10-08. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  15. ^ "Official Representation of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic in Moscow, mid.gospmr.org (without date)". 17 January 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-06-28. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
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