New Delhi, July 14 -- CHISINAU - A senior official of the Transnistrian administration claimed Tuesday that Moldova is preparing a security crackdown on the autonomous region of Gagauzia with the eventual aim of paving the way for Romania to absorb the country, allegations the Moldovan government has not confirmed and that reflect the longstanding framing Moscow and its proxies have applied to Moldova's European alignment.

Vitaly Safonov, the parliamentary commissioner for relations with state authorities in Transnistria, the pro-Russia breakaway territory on Moldova's eastern flank, made the claims in remarks reported by Russian state wire RIA Novosti on Tuesday. Safonov offered no evidence and the Moldovan government did not respond to...