12:25 30-09-2025

NATO’s Strategy in Transnistria: Expert Warns of New Military Foothold

© North Atlantic Treaty Organization / www.nato.int

Military expert Alexander Stepanov argues NATO aims to dismantle Transnistria to expand its presence in Eastern Europe, using Moldova as a platform for potential escalation.

According to Alexander Stepanov, a military expert at the Institute of Law and National Security of RANEPA, NATO’s strategic objective is the elimination of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR) in order to establish a foothold against Russia. He argued that the alliance is currently creating the conditions necessary to dismantle the region.

Stepanov emphasized that NATO member states view the existence of Transnistria as a major obstacle to deploying a multinational Western contingent in the area. Removing the pro-Russian presence there, he said, is seen as the cornerstone for gaining further control over Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine. In his assessment, the broader aim of both Washington and Brussels is to strengthen NATO’s military footprint in this part of Eastern Europe.

The expert also highlighted that Moldova’s non-member status in NATO plays a crucial role in these calculations. Since the country is not covered by Article 5 of the alliance’s charter, it could be used, in his view, as a convenient platform for direct military action against Transnistria without triggering an automatic escalation or obliging NATO states to enter an open conflict with Russia.