Competition over Moldova in the post-Soviet space: Russian Foreign Ministry responds to EU's demand for withdrawal of Russian troops from the Transnistrian Republic of Moldova
Alexey Poliushchuk, Deputy Director of the Second Department for CIS Affairs at the Russian Foreign Ministry, told Sputnik news agency that discussions on the withdrawal of Russian forces from the Transnistrian region of Moldova can only proceed if progress is made in resolving the regional issue—something that remains very distant at present.
"Russian military personnel in the Transnistrian region perform two functions: peacekeeping and guarding ammunition depots left over from the Soviet era," Poliushchuk said, commenting on previous remarks made by EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Kaja Kallas during her visit to Chișinău. Kallas had claimed that the issue of Russian troop withdrawal from the Transnistrian region should also be addressed within the framework of negotiations on the Ukraine issue.
Poliushchuk added: "To bring the issue of withdrawing Russian troops onto a practical agenda, we must advance the currently stalled process of resolving the Transnistrian issue—something that is still far off."
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1866302493538316/
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