NEWSLETTER MGRES power plant from Cuciurgan, the breakaway region of Transnistria. Photo source: Mădălin Necșuțu personal archive February 2026 The Transnistrian File – The Ball and Chain Tied to Chisinau’s Foot on Its Road to Brussels Topics of the edition: 1 ­Valeriu Chiveri, Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration: The evolution of the situation in the Transnistrian region – from an economic and social perspective – is currently fully dependent on Chișinău 2 ­Mădălin Necșuțu, TVR Moldova journalist: From crisis to opportunity: Turning fear into soft power in the Transnistrian file 3 ­Balazs Jarabik, analyst and former diplomat: There are arguments for increasing the international visibility of the Transnistrian dossier, especially under current conditions 4 ­Viorica Țîcu, director of strategic programs at IESPM: The Transnistrian Issue through the Lens of Russian“Sharp Power” in 2026 W hether or not the Transnistrian file is resolved before the Republic of Moldova’s accession to the EU remains an equation with many unknowns. The current edition of the Foreign Policy Bulletin seeks to analyse from all angles the scenarios for resolving this issue, which has been dragging on for more than three decades, as well as the interests and attitudes of the actors involved in the process. In an interview given to the foreign policy bulletin, award-winning analyst and decorated diplomat with 20 years of experience, Balázs Jarábik, explains his vision regarding the possibilities for resolving the frozen conflict in the Transnistrian region in a highly turbulent international context. In the pages of the bulletin, the Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration, Valeriu Chiveri, explains why it is important for this reintegration process to be accelerated, but not forced, and notes that this is already happening de facto, as companies from the left bank of the Dniester River pay import and export duties to Chisinau, while many citizens from the left bank work and use the healthcare system on the right bank of the Dniestr River. At the same time, TVR Moldova journalist Mădălin Necșuțu explains in his editorial why the Transnistrian file can also represent an opportunity for the EU, not just a problem, and how the Union can demonstrate political leadership, alongside the use of its financial instruments, in resolving this issue and potentially making use of this precedent in the future. Last but not least, the Programme Director of the European Institute for Political Studies in Moldova, Viorica Țîcu, explains how Russia instrumentalises“sharp power” in the Transnistrian file, through a policy of “controlled freeze” that is closer to elements of hybrid warfare. Foreign Policy Association together with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung offer you a newsletter on foreign policy and European integration issues of the Republic of Moldova. The newsletter is part of the“Foreign Policy Dialogue” joint Project. Monthly newsletter, No.2(240), February 2026 1