The west is in a pickle because Transnistria is home to large warehouses of Soviet era weapons and ammo stored there by agreement of the former Warsaw Pact nations. This is a cache of ammo and arms Ukraine desperately needs. But if Ukraine attacks, they will be doing exactly what they accuse Russia of doing and they will lose more support among the NATO countries already on the fence about giving more resources to Ukraine. But, as BobL points out, Moldova has long standing agreements with Russia for the Russians to be there. They can’t unilaterally terminate those agreements without repercussions.
All these machinations within the Moldovan government, coupled with what appears to be preparations for some kind of provocation coming from Ukraine might force the Russians to attempt a landing at Odessa to create a path for the Russians to resupply and defend Transnistria.
“All these machinations within the Moldovan government, coupled with what appears to be preparations for some kind of provocation coming from Ukraine might force the Russians to attempt a landing at Odessa to create a path for the Russians to resupply and defend Transnistria.”
The Neocons have pretty much DEMANDED that Russia take Odessa and then link up with Transnistria by promising Ukraine that they WILL join NATO.
Nope. The July 1992 agreement between Moldova and Russia calls for the gradual withdrawal of the Russian military which Russia has never complied with.
https://peacemaker.un.org/sites/peacemaker.un.org/files/MD%20RU_920000_AgreementPrinciplesPpeacefulSettlementDniestrConflict.pdf