Blow for West as breakaway Moldovan region that borders Ukraine calls on Putin for 'protection'

The West's fears were realised today as a breakaway region of Moldova called on Vladimir Putin for 'protection'.

Transnistria - a separatist region sharing a border with Ukraine - called on Russia for help in a move carefully choreographed with Moscow.

Putin already has several thousand Russian troops in the region, a supposed peacekeeping force which has been there since the end of Soviet times, and an unknown number of paramilitaries.

Moldova is West-leaning but so far outside the EU and NATO, making it vulnerable to Putin.

Transnistria is in thrall to Moscow.

Transnistira shares a border with Ukraine so it would allow easier access if Russia takes over. Russian 'peacekeepers' are seen here marching during the parade in the capital Tiraspol

A fear is that Putin will seek to take full control not only of Transnistria but all of Moldova

A fear is that Putin will seek to take full control not only of Transnistria but Moldova, an ex-Soviet republic.

The call from a special assembly in Transnistria, called the Congress of Deputies, was deliberately timed ahead of Putin's keynote speech of the fear to the Russian Federal Assembly in Moscow on Thursday.

The assembly voted to 'adopt an appeal to the Federation Council and the State Duma of the Russian Federation (the two houses of parliament) with a request to implement measures to protect Transnistria in conditions of increased pressure from (Moldova).'

The appeal notes that 'more than 220,000 Russian citizens permanently reside on the territory of the region and the unique positive experience of Russian peacekeeping (force).'

The appeal urges the UN to respect the 'inalienable rights of the Transnistrian people guaranteed by international norms, to stop the violation by Chisinau (the capital of Moldova) of the rights and freedoms of the inhabitants'.

The pro-Russian leadership of the region say: 'Since the moment the Moldovan leadership chose and consolidated the course towards the European Union, Transnistria has been subjected to the greatest socio-economic pressure and the most massive violation of the rights and freedoms of the inhabitants of the region, which directly contradicts the European principles and approaches in the field of human rights protection and free trade.'

Putin is seen as likely to exploit the move for his own ends, but it is unclear he has the military muscle to walk in an invade Transnistria - which he effectively anyway controls - or Moldova immediately.

Local opposition politician Gennadiy Chiorba claimed a Putin plot to grab Transnistria is in progress, as part of the dictator's re-election campaign.

This will give Putin a supposed 'legal' power to step into Transnistria which has been in limbo since the end of the Soviet Union.

The region is seen as hotbed of crime, corruption and smuggling.

The dictator has noticed the failure of the West to meet Ukraine's needs for arms, and senses he could get away with a new annexation, say experts.

Potentially, Russia could use the territory to move against the rest of Moldova, seen as another goal, and as a point for attacks on Ukrainian port Odesa, a far more significant prize.

Moldova is West-leaning but so far outside the EU and NATO, making it vulnerable to Putin

'More than 220,000 Russian citizens permanently reside on the territory of the region'

Maia Sandu, the president of Moldova - the country could be vulnerable to the Kremlin

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has insisted Moscow will 'not leave its citizens living in Transnistria in trouble'.

Moldova president President Maia Sandu last year claimed Russia was planning a coup in her country.

Chiorba warned Sandu of the Kremlin threat saying that 'the psychology of the current leadership of Russia, in particular Putin, is very similar to the psychology of Hitler in the late 1930s.

'Attempts to appease people like Putin lead to only one thing - the growing appetite of the aggressor.'

Ukrainian military analyst Aleksander Kovalenko has branded Moscow's moves 'concerning'.

Russians are the largest group among the population of Transnistria with almost 30 per cent

Another 29 percent are Moldovan or Romanian, while 23 per cent are Ukrainian

And he warned: 'This group of [Russian] troops poses a serious threat to Moldova, since it is a much more combat-ready force than the Moldovan army.'

Russians are the largest group among the population of Transnistria with almost 30 per cent.

Another 29 percent are Moldovan or Romanian, while 23 per cent are Ukrainian.