The tiny statelet of Transnistria is squeezed on all sides
But so far Russia has been unable to gobble it up
“Everyone is welcome, except journalists,” announces the guide as her group have their passports checked on entering Transnistria, a diminutive pro-Russian breakaway enclave that belongs in international law to Moldova. Russian soldiers stand on one side of the road, Moldovans on the other. It is peaceful enough. But ever since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Transnistrians’ fears that their statelet might become a new front in that war have been very real.
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Too thin to survive?”
Europe June 15th 2024
- Why France’s president called a snap election
- Beyond France, the European elections will deliver more of the same
- A peace conference over Ukraine is unlikely to silence the guns
- The tiny statelet of Transnistria is squeezed on all sides
- Politics overshadows a conference to raise money for Ukraine
- No wonder Macron’s gambling: Europe is home to the high-roller
From the June 15th 2024 edition
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She threatens to bring down the French government, but also faces a possible ban from politics
The maths of Europe’s military black hole
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Vladimir Putin fires a new missile to amplify his nuclear threats
The attack on Ukraine is part of a new era of missile warfare
A rise in antisemitism puts Europe’s liberal values to the test
The return of Europe’s oldest scourge
Once dominant, Germany is now desperate
As an election looms its business model is breaking down