Ukraine's foreign minister explains why Ukraine maintains relations with unrecognised Transnistria

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said that Ukraine maintains contact with unrecognised Transnistria through Ambassador-at-Large Paun Rohovei exclusively in coordination with the Moldovan government.

Kuleba explained in an interview with Moldovan publication Newsmaker that Ukraine, as a participant in the Transnistrian settlement process, "holds consultations with other participants of the process, with the exception of the aggressor country, Russia, and with the parties to the conflict, Chișinău and Tiraspol."

He stressed that Paun Rohovei, Ambassador-at-Large of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the representative of Ukraine, met with the de-facto leader of Moldova’s Transnistria region, Vadim Krasnoselsky.

"Such meetings have been held in close coordination with the Moldovan side and will continue to be held. These contacts are part of the work of the special representative. It is important to emphasise that he closely coordinates his activities with Chișinău, and in this regard, we have never taken and will never take any steps or initiatives without coordinating them [with the Moldovan government]," Kuleba said.

He also said that the previously used 5+2 format for resolving the Transnistrian conflict has proven ineffective due to Russian involvement.

"Therefore, at this stage, the most effective tool is a dialogue in the 1+1 format, that is, direct negotiations and consultations between Chișinău and Tiraspol," Kuleba said.

"Given the start of negotiations on Moldova and Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, the Transnistrian settlement should become an issue on the European agenda, particularly in the security domain," he added.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu has said she does not rule out that a "geopolitical opportunity" would arise in the next few years that would allow for the resolution of the conflict in the Transnistrian region.