Kyiv will respond to any Russian provocations in Moldova, Transnistria - MFA

That's according to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Ukrinform reports.

"The Ukrainian side, as a mediator in the Transnistrian settlement process, continues to provide assistance to Chisinau and Tiraspol in finding ways of mutual understanding, primarily in the matter of the ultimate goal of the negotiation process - the reintegration of the Republic of Moldova," the ministry said.

During the meetings, the parties discussed the current state of the Transnistrian settlement and exchanged views on ways to solve problematic economic, social and humanitarian issues in the relations between Chisinau and Tiraspol.

"Ukraine stands solely for the peaceful settlement of the Transnistrian issue with the preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova within its internationally recognized borders. At the same time, Kyiv will resolutely respond to any provocations aimed both at dragging the Transnistrian region into Russia's war against Ukraine and at destabilizing the situation in Moldova as a whole," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.

The Ukrainian side confirmed its position regarding the non-functionality of the "5+2" format due to the presence of the aggressor country - the Russian Federation.

In addition, Ukraine continues to advocate for the speedy withdrawal of Russian troops from the Transnistrian region, the disposal of ammunition at warehouses in Cobasna, and the reformatting of the mission on the Dniester from military to civilian.

Tiraspol's representative, in turn, confirmed his readiness to continue the implementation of the agreements reached in cooperation with Chisinau regarding the provision of new transport corridors for Ukrainian exports.

The Ukrainian side also expressed its readiness to consider resuming on-site consular services for Ukrainian citizens in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova. The main condition is to ensure the appropriate level of security for the activities of Ukrainian consular employees, as well as the guarantee of their unhindered movement to/from the place of on-site consular activities, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on February 14 that the West had stopped the negotiation process on Transnistria in the 5+2 format. This format included Russia, Ukraine, Transnistria, Moldova and the OSCE as mediators and the EU and the U.S. as observers. Lavrov said that Russia "will do everything" to restore the 5+2 process.

Lavrov also claimed that there are about 200,000 Russian citizens in Transnistria, Russia is "concerned about their fate" and "will not allow them to become victims of yet another Western adventure," he said.

Serebrian said on January 28 that Moldova would not return to the 5+2 process until Russian-Ukrainian relations improve and Russia's war in Ukraine is ongoing.

Photo credit: Ukrainian Foreign Ministry