In Moldova, events in Crimea fuel fears of poverty and annexation
Chisinau (AFP) - Moldova, another former Soviet state with a restive Russian-speaking minority, fears events in neighbouring Ukraine will provide a blueprint for its own separatists, and bring further hardship to Europe's poorest country.
In the central market of the capital Chisinau, many are concerned about the future in the wake of Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula this week and its impact on Moldova's disastrous economy.
"Pensions are already tiny and insufficient. This trouble will only make things worse," said Zenovia, a 58-year-old selling bread to bolster her meagre 60-euro (82-dollar) monthly pension.
She is anxious about a thaw in the "frozen conflict" over Transdniestr, Moldova's own separatist region -- a long, thin strip made up mostly of Russian speakers along the border with Ukraine.
A brief conflict over the region between Moldovan and pro-Russian forces left hundreds dead in the early 1990s. Russia intervened at the time and has maintained troops in the region ever since.
"We don't want a repeat of that. There were so many deaths, so many widows," said Zenovia.
Such concerns were heightened on Friday when Russia's military announced that it had carried out exercises in Transdniestr.
Russian military spokesman Colonel Oleg Kotchetkov said the exercises were just routine preparations for an enemy attack.
But they will only add to fears of Russian revanchism in Moldova, especially after reports earlier this week that politicians in Transdniestr -- who have their own self-appointed assembly -- had asked Russia to absorb their region along with Crimea.
The pro-Western Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti responded on Tuesday, saying: "Such actions are counterproductive and would not benefit either the Republic of Moldova or the Russian Federation."
- Russia or EU? -
Transdniestr, with a population of 550,000, made its bid for secession in 1990 as the Soviet Union crumbled, fearing domination by the Romanian-speaking population that makes up the majority in the rest of Moldova.
Moldova was part of Romania up to World War II.
After independence in 1991, Chisinau tried to recover Transnistria without success. Skirmishes turned into a short war in 1992.
Russia has kept soldiers in Transnistria against the wishes of the Moldovan government, and despite a commitment in 1999 to remove them.
Nonetheless, few believe Russia is interested in annexing Transnistria.
"I believe the Russians don't need to re-attach a territory this small, which is already occupied by their army," said Chisinau-based economist Victor Grama.
In the central market, there were mixed feelings. Some see Russia's annexation of Crimea as merely "repairing an historic mistake".
"We should not be forced to choose between the EU and Russia," said stall-owner Nicolae Spanu.
But most still look to Europe as their hope for the future.
"I hope Moldova will enter the European Union. We hope that this will bring us better pensions and more respectable people," said Zenovia.
Moldova, along with Georgia, initialled an association agreement with the 28-nation bloc in November -- the same deal that Ukraine rejected, triggering the huge protests that brought down the pro-Kremlin government in Kiev. Chisinau and Tbilisi are expected to sign the agreements by 2015.
The Moldovan president has urged the EU to hasten the process in the wake of events in Ukraine.
Wedged between Romania to the west and Ukraine to the east, Moldova with 3.5 million people is the poorest European country with a per capita income of $2,037 in 2012, according to the World Bank.
