Dniester is a small area located across the river from Moldova. It is technically part of Moldova. Moldova is an eastern European country that gained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Dniester declared its independence from Moldova soon after, which led to an armed conflict between the two sides, ending in 1992. Dniester still claims it's independent, though is not internationally recognized as such.
The leader of Dniester is Igor Smirnov. Smirnov wants Dniester to be part of the Russian union. Most people of Dniester are ethnically Ukrainian or Russian, not Moldovan.
Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin wants Dniester to remain part of Moldova because the region is richer than the rest of the country. Moldova is so poor that a small portion of the population wants to give up the country's sovereignty and join Romania.
Russia has had 1,500 troops located in Dniester since the end of the conflict. While they officially claim that Dniester is with Moldova, they secretly wish to rule over the region.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko wants Dniester to be autonomous within Moldova and not part of Russia, because he doesn't want Ukraine to be surrounded by Russia.
Recently, Dniester's leaders have avowed that being part of Moldova is no longer an option. They want at least legal status comparable to that of Kosovo.
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