Vladimir Putin has Moldova in his sights.
Nestled between Romania and Ukraine, Moldova is another non-NATO nation bordering a NATO country, Romania.President Joe Biden’s words —"Let me be clear. Our forces are not engaged and will not engage in conflict with Russian forces in Ukraine" — linger large. Those words provided the green light that Putin needed to launch his invasion of Ukraine. All he heard was that everything non-NATO was in play.
The prospect of a Russian invasion was foreshadowed in early March, when Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was seen standing in front of a map displaying plans to invade Transnistria, a breakaway state in Moldova. The map appeared to show troop movements, including an attack on Transnistria, which is controlled by pro-Russian separatists, from Odessa, Ukraine.
Renewed Russian bombing in Odessa has already begun. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at least eight people, including a 3-month-old baby, were killed in Russian missile strikes on April 23. A Ukrainian official previously said at least six cruise missiles had been launched at the port city as Russia continues its offensive.
When you step back and look at the pattern, the threat to Moldova is simply the next step, a continuation of Putin's broader war to save"Russian-speaking" populations and support pro-Russian separatists. Consider the five-day war Tbilisi had with Russia in 2008 over Georgia's breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Then, it was Crimea in 2014.
Transnistria has been a frozen conflict for years — a breakaway republic from Moldova under Russian military occupation since 1992. Moldova views the presence of Russian forces as illegitimate and has called for their withdrawal.Retired Army Col. Jon Sweet served 30 years as a military intelligence officer. His background includes tours of duty with the 101st Airborne Division , the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Putin appears unsteady during church service as illness rumors mountThe frail-looking strongman is seen swaying during the Mass conducted by the Russian Orthodox Church.
Read more »
Putin purges 150 intelligence agents for Ukraine failures: ReportRussian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed about 150 Federal Security Bureau officers, sending some to prison, since Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, according to a report on Monday.
Read more »
WSJ News Exclusive | U.S. Withholds Sanctions on a Very Close Putin Associate: His Reputed GirlfriendOfficials have a sanctions package ready, but they continue to weigh the potential backlash for blacklisting the 39-year-old former Olympic gymnast. The U.S. government says she is the mother of at least three of President Vladimir Putin’s children.
Read more »
Putin Easter church service video prompts speculation TV footage was stagedA fact check on Twitter said that Putin was at the event despite speculation online that the footage of the Russian leader was staged.
Read more »