The small ‘vulnerable’ European nation Vladimir Putin could ‘go for’ | World | News
Vladimir Putin won’t settle for Ukraine, an expert warns (Image: Getty)
Vladimir Putin has his sights set on a “very vulnerable” European country if the war in Ukraine ends, an expert has warned. Tim Wilsey, a professor at King’s College London, predicted what the Russian President’s next steps might be and warned that he was unlikely to stop in Ukraine.
The former diplomat said he believed Moscow’s chances of achieving a “positive agreement” in US-led talks to end the Ukraine war, which is approaching its fourth anniversary, are “really good”. NATO countries are increasing their defense spending due to concerns about the threat posed by Russia; The alliance’s Secretary General, Mark Rutte, warned in 2025 that Moscow could launch an attack on NATO within the next five years. The Baltics are generally thought to be the region most likely to come under threat; but Mr. Wilsey suggested another European country might be at risk.
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File image of Tiraspol, the main city of the breakaway region of Transnistria (Image: Getty)
To talk SunThe professor said he believed Mr. Putin would “go to Moldova” following any agreement to end the conflict in Ukraine.
He added that a cessation of hostilities would give Mr Putin a chance to “save” Russia’s military, which is in a “terrible situation”, and that he hoped it would take three years.
“I don’t think for a moment that Putin’s project is over,” he warned
Mr Wilsey also said he expected to see Russian interference in politics as well as “sabotage, assassination and the use of drones at airports”.
Unlike many of its neighbors, Moldova is not part of NATO or the EU.
The former Soviet republic has aligned itself with the West; However, the separatist region of Transnistria, which broke away from Moldova in 1990, is pro-Russian.
The region is a narrow strip of land wedged between Moldova and Ukraine and is home to a Russian military base where about 1,500 soldiers are stationed.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, various developments in Transnistria have led some to draw parallels with the separatist movement of pro-Moscow groups in eastern Ukraine, which paved the way for Russia’s full-scale offensive.
About 200,000 of the breakaway territory’s population of nearly half a million are Russian citizens who feel a close bond to Russia, but most are also Moldovan citizens.
In the 2006 Transnistria referendum, more than 95% of voters said they wanted to join Russia, but the vote was not recognized internationally.
Transnistria’s independence is not recognized internationally but is supported politically, economically and militarily by Russia.
Mr. Wilsey also identified the Estonian border town of Narva, which has a significant Russian population, as another potential flashpoint to watch out for.
Referring to recent concerns over Washington’s commitment to NATO, he told The Sun: “Do we really believe that the United States is going to go to war for one town in Estonia? I’m not sure I do anymore.”
