West closely watching Putin's next move after breakaway region asks Moscow to ‘protect' it from Moldova

Speculation is mounting that the Russian President could announce the deployment of troops to protect the breakaway region of Transnistria in Moldova during his annual address to lawmakers. The pro-Russian authorities of Transnistria have asked Moscow for protection against what they perceive as a threat from Moldova. Analysts believe that Putin’s State of the Nation address could involve an announcement about Transnistria, a region that has been supported by Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The self-proclaimed Transnistrian authorities have requested measures to safeguard their region’s economy and more than 220,000 Russian citizens residing there. Moldova’s government dismissed the statement as propaganda.