聽Flags of Moldova鈥檚 breakaway region of Transdniestria and Russia flutter in central Tiraspol, in Moldova鈥檚 breakaway region of Transdniestria May 5, 2022. REUTERS FILE PHOTO
CHISINAU 鈥� Moldova dismissed an accusation by Russia鈥檚 defense ministry on Thursday that Ukraine planned to invade the breakaway Moldovan region of Transdniestria after staging a false flag operation, and called for calm.
The Russian news agency RIA said Ukraine, which borders Moldova, planned to stage an attack by purportedly Russian forces from Transdniestria as a pretext for the invasion. Russia keeps troops in the breakaway region.
The TASS news agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin as saying separately that the West had instructed Moldova鈥檚 government in Chisinau to stop all interaction with Transdniestria鈥檚 Moscow-backed authorities.
The Moldovan government issued a statement on the Telegram messaging app saying state authorities 鈥渄o not confirm鈥� the Russian defense ministry鈥檚 allegations.
鈥淲e call for calm and for information to be received (by the public) from official and credible sources of the Republic of Moldova,鈥� it said. 鈥淥ur institutions cooperate with foreign partners and in the case of threats to the country, the public will be promptly informed.鈥�
Moldova鈥檚 foreign minister told Reuters on Wednesday that the tiny former Soviet republic, which also borders NATO member Romania, was prepared for a 鈥渇ull spectrum of threats鈥� from Russia.
鈥淥ur institutions have planned for responses along the full spectrum of threats,鈥� he said. 鈥淥f course we have limited means, but at the same time we are not alone in this.鈥�
President Maia Sandu, who wants her country to join the European Union, accused Moscow this month of planning a coup to topple Moldova鈥檚 leadership. Moscow denied the allegation.
The mainly Russian-speaking region broke away from then-Soviet Moldova in 1990. After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, pro-Russian separatists fought a war with Moldovan government forces.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last week it was 鈥渙bvious鈥� that Ukraine would not be Russia鈥檚 last stop after invading Ukraine, and that the Kremlin was thinking about ways to 鈥渟trangle鈥� Moldova.
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