CHISINAU, Aug. 29 -- Three decades after Russian troops arrived in Transnistria as peacekeepers and never left, Moscow is making its position explicit. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin warned in an interview with RIA Novosti that Russia would respond "decisively and without delay" to any escalation in the breakaway Moldovan region, a narrow strip of territory between Moldova's eastern border and Ukraine holding roughly 350,000 residents, a significant portion with Russian passports, and around 1,500 Russian troops.

The warning carries particular weight in August 2026. Moldova's government, led by President Maia Sandu, has pushed more assertively on reintegration throughout the year, arguing that Transnistria's status must ...