As the situation in Ukraine has unfolded, there have been frequent references to a similar situation in Moldova involving the region of that country called Trans-Dniester (or Transnistra in Romanian). I was unaware of the roots of the dispute, although I did know that Trans-Dniester had demanded independence from the newly emerging state of Moldova after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The background to this issue was far more complicated than I knew, and the BBC provided a good background in an article published in July 2007. Since it is likely that Trans-Dniester will figure more prominently in future weeks, it would be good for everyone to appreciate the complexity of the dispute.
NATO has announced that it will step up its presence along Russia’s borders as worries about Russia’s intentions deepen in NATO members with large Russian speaking populations such as the Baltic states. The move is perfectly understandable from the perspective of those member states which feel threatened, but such moves will also amplify Russian fears of encirclement. The situation is a classic case of the “security dilemma” in which genuinely defense moves can simultaneously trigger insecurity. One can only hope that NATO fully informed Russia about the moves before they were announced.
A former Managing Director of Goldman Sachs, Nomi Prins, has written a book, All the Presidents’ Bankers: The Hidden Alliances That Drive American Power. Prins also worked for Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and Chase Manhattan Bank, so she is by no means a radical leftist. The book is, however, a devastating indictment of the relationship between financiers and American politicians, both Republican and Democratic. Salon had an interview with Prins and her interpretation of how banks influence policies is truly unnerving.
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