Odesa meet takes place without casualties

The parties signed an agreement on confidence building measures and increased contacts between Moldova and Transdnistria. However, the main problem between Chisin‰u and Tiraspol remains unresolved, the status of the breakaway Transdnistrian mini-state. It is also unclear from the participants' statements how power might be divided between Moldova and Transdnistria, reports Viktor Zamiatin, The Day.

Like Russia, Ukraine is a guarantor of the Odesa Accords. True, Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeev has against expressed opposition to allowing Ukrainian peace-keepers to participate in settling the conflict. In his words, the former Russian Fourteenth Army (which, under General Lebed created Transdnistria in the first place) will be all that is needed. Ukraine also lacks any economic levers to influence the situation.