Sandu Cites Reason for Issuance of Russian Passports in Transnistria — Politico
Moldovan President Maia Sandu stated that Vladimir Putin’s decision to simplify the process of granting Russian citizenship to residents of Transnistria could be an attempt to recruit more people for the war against Ukraine. According to her, it could also be a tool the Kremlin is using to pressure Moldova.
This is reported in a Politico article.
“They simply need more people to send to the war in Ukraine,” Politico quotes Sandu as saying. Additionally, according to the head of state, this could be one of the Kremlin’s tactics aimed at pressuring Moldova in connection with its efforts to reintegrate Transnistria.
The president emphasized that since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, most residents of the region have opted to obtain Moldovan passports, as they believed that “with Moldovan citizenship, they would be safer than with Russian citizenship.” When asked whether Putin could block Moldova’s accession to the EU over the Transnistria issue, Sandu replied: “Only the EU can decide whether Moldova will become part of the EU or not. Russia has no say in this.”
Earlier, Moldovan President Maia Sandu stated that Ukraine and Moldova’s accession to the EU is not a “concession” on Europe’s part, but a strategic choice for the security of the entire continent. She emphasized that both countries have already proven their right to be part of the European Union by choosing the European path under difficult conditions.
The European Union has moved to the practical stage of preparing Montenegro’s accession treaty. The country continues on its path toward EU integration and has declared its intention to become a member by 2028.
Ukraine hopes that the European Union will open all six negotiation chapters on the country’s accession this year and anticipates the possibility of closing at least one of them by the end of the year.
Ukraine may temporarily forgo some of the benefits of EU membership to accelerate the accession process. Taras Kachka noted that such a step would help the country integrate into the EU more quickly.
