Moldovan leaders decry Russian move on citizenship for separatist region
Moldovan leaders have condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin's decree offering simplified citizenship to residents of the pro-Russian Transdniestria region. They view this move as a threat and a means for Russia to exert influence over Moldova, especially as the country seeks EU membership. The Moldovan government is considering measures to counteract this development, while Ukraine expresses solidarity with Moldova in addressing the situation.
- ▪Putin's decree allows Transdniestria residents to obtain Russian citizenship without residency requirements.
- ▪Moldova's government sees the Russian military presence in Transdniestria as a threat to its sovereignty.
- ▪Moldovan leaders are contemplating actions in response to Russia's citizenship offer.
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Moldovan leaders decry Russian move on citizenship for separatist regionSign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxPublished May 18, 2026, 04:08 AMUpdated May 18, 2026, 04:08 AMCHISINAU, May 17 - Moldovan leaders denounced as a threat Russian President Vladimir Putin's offer of simplified Russian citizenship for the country's pro-Russian Transdniestria separatist enclave and contemplated measures to counteract it.Transdniestria broke from Moldova in 1990 when it was still a Soviet republic and, despite a brief conflict two years later, has since existed largely in peace alongside the country.A Russian military contingent of some 1,500 troops, which Russia sometimes describes as peacekeepers, separates the two sides and the enclave receives substantial Russian…
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