Romania demands explanation over Russian threat
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania, Titus Corlatean
In a further sign that Sunday's referenda in Ukraine are testing nerves along Europe's eastern edge, EU and NATO member Romania has demanded that Russia explain a threat tweeted by its deputy premier Dmitry Rogozin (pictured above).
"A Russian Deputy Prime Minister threatening to use a strategic bomber is a very serious threat in the current regional context," Romania's foreign office said in a statement late Saturday.
Rogozin, who oversees Russia's arms industry, is one of the Russian officials sanctioned by the EU and US after Moscow annexed Crimea in March.
Petition papers confiscated
Associated Press reported in addition on Sunday that Moldovan authorities had confiscated boxes of secessionist petition signatures from Rogozin as he returned home from a commemorative ex-Soviet "Victory Day" visit to Trans-Dniester.
Moldova's pro-European government, which had asked him not to make the visit, said it would analyze the papers seized from Rogozin at Chisinau airport.
According to Rogozin's tweets posted in English on Saturday, Romania barred him on his way home from flying in a civilian aircraft through adjacent Romanian airspace. Ukrainian interceptor jets had also blocked his flight path, Rogozin said.
"Upon US request, Romania has closed its airspace for my plane," Rogozin tweeted. "Ukraine doesn't allow me to pass through again. Next time I'll fly on board TU-160."
The supersonic Soviet-era TU-160 is Russia's largest strategic bomber.
Visit to Tiraspol
In another message - sent one hour before his homeward flight was turned away - Rogozin tweeted: "this morning I met with the Command of the Joint Staff of Russian Forces in Transdniestria (sic)."
On Friday, while attending commemorations in Tiraspol, the main city of Trans-Dniester, to mark the 1945 Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, Rogozin offered support to residents favoring links with Russia. Trans-Dniester is not internationally recognized.
"Russia will do everything possible for Trans-Dniester not to be isolated," he said.
The Novosti PMR news agency quoted him as saying: "Russia has taken on the role of a guarantor of security, and depending on developments we will take concrete steps in this way."
Majority Russian-speaking Trans-Dniester - adjacent to southern Ukraine - broke away from Moldova in 1990 and voted for independence in 2006, but without international recognition. Russia has 1,500 troops in the region.
Romania demands explanation
Romania's foreign ministry said it had asked Moscow if Rogozin's remarks represented the "Russian Federation's official position towards Romania as an EU and NATO member."
Romania said its airspace denial complied with EU sanctions, including travel bans, imposed on selected Russian officials and pro-Moscow Ukrainian political and business leaders.
Moldova, one of Europe's poorest countries and Romania's eastern neighbor, is seeking closer ties with the EU.
Reuters: 11. May 2014
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Reuters: 11. May 2014
Russian official delivers petition from Moldova region to join Russia
By Gabriela Baczynska
Transdniestria, which broke from Moldova in 1990, has long sought to join Russia and the West fears the narrow sliver of land on the Dniestr river.
A senior Russian politician said on Sunday he had brought to Moscow a petition by residents of Moldova's Russian-speaking, breakaway region of Transdniestria backing union with Russia.
Dmitry Rogozin's comments will further rattle Moldova, an impoverished former Soviet republic which, like neighbouring Ukraine, is seeking closer ties with Europe but faces stiff resistance from Moscow.
Transdniestria, which broke from Moldova in 1990, has long sought to join Russia and the West fears the narrow sliver of land on the Dniestr river will be Moscow's next target following its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region in March and its support for pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
"The Russian delegation has ... brought home the appeal to the Russian authorities by Transdniestrians. And even if it's of symbolic rather than legal character it is now important to us," Rogozin wrote on Facebook.
Rogozin, who oversees Russia's arms industry and is known for his harsh anti-Western rhetoric, also posted online pictures showing numerous piles of paper covered with signatures.
He and his delegation visited Transdniestria to celebrate the anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945.
"NOT HELPFUL"
Moldovan security officers searched their plane after it was forced to return to the capital Chisinau when Ukraine refused to let it fly through its air space, Russian officials said.
Moldova said it had seized lists of names during the search and was analysing them, though Rogozin said he had returned home with the names of "most" of those taking part in the petition.
"The recent actions and statements by D. Rogozin are counter-productive and do not help progress in settling the Transdniestria conflict," Moldova's foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
Moscow says it has the right to protect its compatriots and Russian-speakers abroad but denies Western accusations that it is fomenting unrest in eastern Ukraine, where separatists held a referendum on self-rule on Sunday.
Ukraine has said illegal military groups from Transdniestria were working with Russians to stir up unrest in its nearby Black Sea city of Odessa, where dozens died in clashes this month.
Transdniestria has not been recognised by any state as independent, but is home to some 2,500 Russian soldiers and half-a-million people - 30 percent of them ethnic Russians - who look to Moscow as their patron, much like the narrow ethnic Russian majority in Crimea.
Rogozin triggered an angry response from NATO member Romania on Saturday when, reacting to being barred from Romanian airspace, he said that next time he would fly on a Russian bomber jet.
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