Moldovan breakaway region of Transnistria asks Russia for ‘protection’

The self-proclaimed government of Transnistria, the Moscow-backed breakaway region in Moldova, has asked Russia for “protection” amid “increasing pressure from Moldova,” according to local media.

Transnistrian deputies passed a resolution on Wednesday that echoes language previously used by Moscow to justify its invasions of sovereign states, calling on Russia’s parliament to “implement measures to protect Transnistria, taking into account the fact that more than 220,000 Russian citizens permanently reside on the republic’s territory.”

The resolution also calls on the U.N., the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the European Parliament, and other organizations to “prevent further escalation” in the relationship between Chişinău and Tiraspol (Transnistria’s unrecognized capital).