Ukraine war: Moldova fury at Russian general’s remark on territorial war aim, summons Russian ambassador

Moldova has said it is deeply concerned by comments made by a Russian general surrounding its sovereignty while summoning the country’s ambassador.

On Friday, Moldova summoned Russia’s ambassador to the country to protest against statements a Russian general made that Moscow wanted to capture southern Ukraine to gain access to a breakaway Moldovan region.

Recall that on Friday, the deputy commander of Russia’s central military district General Rustam Minnekayev said full control of the south of Ukraine will improve access to Transdniestria, a pro-Russian breakaway region of Moldova.

In a statement issued on Friday, Moldova’s government said the remarks by the Russian commander are “unfounded and contradict the position of the Russian Federation supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova.”

The statement added that during the meeting with the Russian diplomat, Moldova reiterated its position as a neutral state. Moldova said, “This principle must be respected by all international actors, including the Russian Federation,” the country’s foreign ministry said.

Transdniestria, which borders the west of Ukraine broke away after a short civil war in the early 1990s and is unrecognized by most countries. An estimated 1,500 Russian soldiers have been stationed there since the civil war.

Since Russia launched its attacks on Ukraine on Feb. 24, fears have grown that Moldova could be next in Russia’s crosshairs. Moldova is not a member of the European Union or NATO.

The war has prompted Moldovan officials to try to speed up the country’s bid to join the 27-nation EU, which it applied to do last month. The process, however, will likely take many years.

Meanwhile, a senior EU official has said Russia will increase its military offensive in eastern Ukraine and along the coast, saying “this is not a fairy tale with an imminent happy ending.”

“I think we are likely to see a very significant increase in the intensity of Russian military attacks in the east, I think we are likely to see an intensification of Russian military attacks along the coast,” they said.

The official added that the “next couple of weeks” will be decisive for the war in Ukraine, which began in February.