Arms Trafficking in Transnistria: A European Security Threat?

The Republic of Transnistria is a separatist region of the state of Moldova. With the active support of Russian military stationed in Moldova, Transnistria formed a de facto state following a short war with Moldova in 1992. Today, still lacking recognition by the international community, Transnistria has become a haven for transnational criminal activities including illegal trade in arms, human trafficking, and money laundering. This paper tries to evaluate whether this small separatist region, geographically located in Europe, truly represents a serious security issue through a review of literature and a survey provided to key organizations in the region