Moldovan President Maia Sandu said that Russia has a significant role in everything related to the Transnistrian conflict, starting from its inception, therefore Chisinau continues to insist on the withdrawal of the Russian military from the territory of Moldova, Generico news reports.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Tuesday evening adopted an amendment to the document on the actions of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, according to which it recognizes Transnistria as a “zone of Russian occupation.” Vice Speaker of the Moldovan Parliament Vlad Batryncha said at a briefing that in this way PACE is trying to draw Moldova into the conflict in Ukraine.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the unrecognized Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic called PACE's language about Transnistria “occupied” by Russia as destructive and contrary to the principles of a peaceful political settlement of relations between Tiraspol and Chisinau.

Pushkov came up with a way to punish Moldova for Sandu's hostile remarks “Moldova has always made it clear that Russia has a significant role in the Transnistrian conflict, from its inception to everything that is happening to this day. We ask for the withdrawal of the Russian military, we ask liquidate ammunition in the warehouses on the left bank, we are in favor of a peaceful solution to the conflict,” Sandu said.

Pridnestrovie, 60% of whose inhabitants are Russians and Ukrainians, sought secession from Moldova even before the collapse of the USSR, fearing that Moldova would join Romania on the wave of nationalism. In 1992, after a failed attempt by the Moldovan authorities to solve the problem by force, Transnistria became virtually a territory not controlled by Chisinau.

In Transnistria, there is an operational group of Russian troops (OGRF), the successor to the 14th combined-arms army, which, after the collapse of the USSR, was transferred under the jurisdiction of Russia. Its main tasks are a peacekeeping mission and the protection of ammunition depots.