Can the gas issue aid Moldova in reclaiming Transnistria? An assessment from a diplomat.

Transnistria is facing new challenges due to the gas crisis caused by Russia's cessation of gas supplies. However, Moldova should not rush to regain control over the unrecognized region.

This was stated in a comment to the YouTube channel RBC-Ukraine by the extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador, advisor to the director of the National Institute for Strategic Studies, Andrey Veselovsky.

Veselovsky compared the situation in Moldova to a gardener's wait for an apple to ripen and fall on its own.

"A good gardener waits for the apple to ripen. He will lay down straw for it to fall, but he won't pull it, because it’s uncertain what else might fall along with that apple," he noted.

In his opinion, the situation in Transnistria is critical, but the people there have not yet realized it.

"Transnistria is dying. But thanks to Russia's efforts, particularly the provision of cheap gas for 30 years, it has managed to survive. Now that thread has been cut," the diplomat explained.

He emphasized that the time is approaching when the residents of the region will turn to their own authorities demanding change.

"That moment must happen. And when it does, then without bloodshed, without danger, without aggression, they will say in Chisinau: 'Well, we are ready, come on over,'" Veselovsky stressed.

At the same time, he warned against a repeat of the events of the 1990s, when attempts to resolve the conflict through force led to casualties.

"This must not be allowed; I believe the leaders of Moldova have enough sense to understand this," the diplomat concluded.

Electricity Problems in Transnistria

Recall that on January 1, 2025, Russian "Gazprom" stopped gas supplies to Transnistria, citing failure to meet payment obligations.

This step led to immediate consequences:

• centralized heating and hot water supply were turned off in the region;
• almost all industrial enterprises ceased operations.

Furthermore, the "head" of Transnistria, Vadim Krasnoselsky, stated that the region's main power plant has switched from gas to coal.