This book investigates state-building, distorted identities, and separatism in the Republic of Moldova. It presents research on the historical preconditions and spread of the secessionist movement in Transnistria, the war in the Dniester River valley, and the diplomatic deadlock of the Transnistrian problem. It examines the conflicting positions that political parties, the public, and experts have taken towards the problems that challenge the nation- and state-building processes in this post-Soviet state. Additional focal points include the reassertion of Russia's power in the post-Soviet space, Ukraine's effort to become a major political player in the region, and Romania's attempt to retrieve its influence in Moldova.

This study demonstrates that separatism generates mutually exclusive nation-building projects on the territory of a single state, that international actors play a significant role in this process, and that domestic and external factors hinder the development of a resolution of the so-called "frozen conflict" over Transnistria.

Honorable Mention, 2024 Taylor and Francis Book Prize in Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies, Canadian Association of Slavists.