By Lyle Goldstein
Ukraine’s forces are performing better than expected. They have seemingly humbled the once mighty Russian bear. As such, there is a new temptation to press the advantage and reassess long-frozen conflicts all along Russia’s periphery. With the Kremlin on the backfoot, this attraction is wholly understandable.
The temptation is especially strong in Moldova, a small former Soviet state sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania in which true sovereignty has long been fractured by the disturbing presence of a Russian army in the breakaway region of Transnistria. For various reasons explained below, there were initially disturbing signs that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his generals might have fixed their own gaze on the country. Some recent incidents of violence in Moldova are reviving these fears.
There is much to admire in little, plucky Moldova – and not just because it has stood up so generously in present circumstances to shelter thousands of Ukrainians fleeing the violence in their own country. That has not been an easy lift for a country sometimes derided as one of the poorest in Europe.
On two brief visits to Chisinau just before the pandemic, I got a taste of Moldova’s many attractions that go well beyond its famous wine industry. The capital has many impressive boulevards, stately buildings with old-world charm, and peaceful parks. Beyond the capital, the cultivated fields spill out in all directions, hinting at the rich soil that has caused various empires to covet this land for centuries.
This piece was originally published in Real Clear World on May 25, 2022. Read more HERE.