Russia told Moldova's new western-leaning leadership today that it would not pull its troops out of the breakaway Transdniestria region until a peace deal with separatists was in place there, Reuters reported. Moldova has said it would use a summit of presidents of the Commonwealth of Independent States, opening in the Moldovan capital Chisinau on Friday, to press Russia to withdraw its soldiers from Transdniestria. Moscow has a peacekeeping force of around 1,200 soldiers stationed since 1992 in the rebel territory, a mainly Russian-speaking sliver of land bordering Ukraine. But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking after a meeting of CIS foreign ministers, told reporters this should take place only in the context of a 2003 Russian proposal.
