ADVISOR TO THE HEAD OF THE PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE OF UKRAINE: RUSSIA SHOULD NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE TRANSNISTRIAN SETTLEMENT PROCESS IN ANY WAY

Advisor to the head of the presidential office of Ukraine, Mikhail Podolyak, believes that Russia should not participate in the Transnistrian settlement process in any way. As reported by INFOTAG, he stated this during the program “New Week with Anatoliy Golea” on TV8.

Commenting on Kiev's decision to withdraw from the “5+2” negotiation format on the Transnistrian settlement, he said that “Ukraine will not participate in negotiations with Russia, as it is counterproductive.”

“Russia should not be involved in any negotiation formats. Because Russia does not consider negotiations as an option. Moscow considers negotiations only as a way to drag out time, to get operational pauses, to reorganize, and to attack again. Russia is not interested in resolving conflicts anywhere - neither in Transnistria, nor in other regions where Russia has created problems and is present in the form of enclaves,” Podolyak stated.

He emphasized that there should be no hope that Russia will help resolve any conflict through negotiations. According to him, “Moscow views any negotiations only as a way to drag out time, maintain the status quo, and maintain a hotspot in its interests.”

“Thus, Moscow has created conflict situations in Transnistria, in Donbas, in other regions. Russia has never been interested in resolving conflicts in Moldova or Ukraine. There are no negotiation formats where the Russian Federation is present. Everyone needs to realize this. Any form where the Russian Federation is present will never end with any settlement,” Podolyak emphasized.

He noted that in Chisinau, “there should be no illusions about this.”

“The '5 + 2' format was needed by the Russian Federation only to buy time. To ensure the existence of this enclave, through which Moldova can be constantly provoked, create some difficulties, conflict, and blame. Hence these statements that Moldova is trying to pressure Transnistria and so on. Currently, the Kremlin is making efforts to destabilize the situation in Gagauzia, engaging in provocations in Transnistria, financing pro-Russian parties in Moldova. Chisinau should keep this in mind. And understand that Russia uses negotiations only to gain time and prepare for new attacks. In my opinion, there is territory in Moldova as a country, and this territory unfortunately includes this criminal enclave. De facto controlled, including by the Russian Federation,” the Ukrainian politician noted.

He listed three reasons why Russia is not interested in resolving the Transnistrian conflict. The first is creating and maintaining instability in the region of interest to Moscow; the second is reducing the standard of living to provoke people to leave the country; and the third is to protest harshly at any time about the enclaves under its control and demand compliance with some rules.

“Guided by these goals, Russia will never be interested in resolving diplomatically any 'enclave problem' it created,” Podolyak concluded.

After local elections last year in five districts, local councilors, contrary to the Socialist Party's directive, went to form a coalition with the ruling PAS. The party does not support their decision but understands why it was made.