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MoldovaUkraine
Moldova's relationship with Ukraine, another important
player
in the Transnistrian conflict, is also complicated.
Historically,
areas that were traditionally part of the region of
Moldova or
Romania (northern Bukovina, Herta, and southern
Bessarabia), and
that continue to be inhabited in part by ethnic Romanians,
were
annexed by Ukraine when the Moldavian SSR was formed. The
potential claims on these territories created tension
between the
two neighbors in the early years of Moldova's
independence, when
the Popular Front made public demands for restitution.
Another potential problem is the presence of a large
ethnic
Ukrainian minority in Moldova. Ethnic Ukrainians have
sided with
the local ethnic Russians in the dispute over Moldova's
language
law, and many ethnic Ukrainians have supported the
separatist
effort in Transnistria. However, the government of Moldova
took
significant measures to meet the demands of the Ukrainian
minority for cultural autonomy and appears to have met
with
substantial success in defusing opposition to Moldova's
Language
Law.
In 1995 potential problems between Ukraine and Moldova
were
subordinate to what had emerged as a strong common
interest in
containing the Transnistrian conflict. Given their own
dispute
with Russia concerning the status of Crimea, Ukrainians
had
little interest in supporting the presence of Russian
military
units outside Russia.
As a more practical question, it was not in Ukraine's
interest to have a large and well-equipped Russian
military
formation based in neighboring Transnistria. The 14th Army
could
reach Russia only by traversing Ukrainian territory or
airspace,
so its presence could only be seen as a potential source
of
danger and instability. Therefore, it is not surprising
that
Ukrainian president Leonid M. Kravchuk made several
statements
supporting Moldova's position in the Transnistrian
conflict,
protested the movement of "Cossack" volunteers across
Ukrainian
territory to Transnistria, and refused to recognize
Transnistrian
claims to sovereignty.
Data as of June 1995
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