Lavrov also asserted that the West had obstructed the 5+2 negotiating process in the Transnistria conflict, which includes Russia, Ukraine, Transnistria, Moldova, and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as mediators, with the EU and US acting as observers.

Despite Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Serebrian’s stance on January 28th that Moldova would not return to the 5+2 process while Russian-Ukrainian relations remained strained and conflict in Ukraine persisted, Lavrov pledged that Russia would take every measure to resume the negotiations.

Lavrov expressed concern for the safety of approximately 200,000 Russian citizens in Transnistria, alleging that they are vulnerable to Western interference.

He also accused Moldova of withholding state budget subsidies from regions such as Gagauzia, drawing parallels with actions towards former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych regarding Ukraine’s Association Agreement with the EU in 2013.

Moreover, Lavrov accused the West of imposing similar “ultimatums” on Chisinau regarding EU integration.

The Kremlin has previously accused Ukraine of disregarding the Minsk Agreements, established following the initial Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014, and has cited the protection of its “compatriots abroad” to justify its military presence in Transnistria since 1992, as well as its interventions in Ukraine in 2014 and 2022.

Furthermore, the Kremlin has accused the US of orchestrating protests following Yanukovych’s withdrawal from the Association Agreement with the EU in 2013, alleging that subsequent US-backed actions forced Russia to intervene in Crimea and Donbas.

Other officials from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including spokesperson Maria Zakharova, have echoed similar claims of Moldovan obstruction in resolving the Transnistria conflict, while Kremlin-affiliated sources have promoted narratives of Moldovan militarisation aimed at forcibly reintegrating Transnistria.

Recent accusations by Moldovan authorities against Russian peacekeepers in Transnistria have further heightened tensions in the region, with the timing of a possible Russian hybrid operation in Moldova remaining uncertain.

However, the Kremlin’s actions indicate a deliberate attempt to shape informational conditions conducive to such operations in the near future.