Fears are that Putin is days away from annexing ANOTHER part of Europe in new Hitler-style land grab to mark Ukraine’s birthday

VLADIMIR Putin could be on the verge of attempting another Hitler-style land grab in Europe: the annexation of Moldovan territory.

Fears are growing that the warmongering tyrant, 71, will try to attack the West by twisted plans for the former Soviet republic next door Ukraine next week.

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There are reports that the pro-Russian The breakaway region of Transnistria – which illegally declared independence from Moldova in 1990 – plans to appeal to Putin to join Russia.

The landlocked strip along the Dniester River is sandwiched between the two Moldavia and Ukraine, which will spend its second anniversary in the grip of crisis war with Russia this weekend.

Putin already has a so-called “peacekeeping force” of up to 2,000 in the region, which has a population of about 470,000 and whom Moscow says overwhelmingly want to be incorporated into Russia.

He is also believed to have thousands of paramilitaries on the ground, ready to take up arms if the call comes.

Putin is due to make a major speech at Russia’s Federal Assembly on February 29, raising fears he will use it to greenlight plans for an annexation.

The day before, a ‘congress’ of local politicians was convened in Transnistria, amid speculation that they will make a formal call to join Russia.

The last Congress led to such a demand.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has insisted that Moscow “will not leave its citizens living in Transnistria in trouble.”

Local opposition politician Gennadiy Chorba claims that the plot to conquer Transnistria is underway as part of Putin’s re-election campaign.

This will give Putin a so-called “legal” power to enter Transnistria, which has been in limbo since the end of the Soviet Union.

Observers have argued that the dictator is well aware of the West’s shaky commitment to Ukraine – which is failing to meet its need for weapons – and thinks he could get away with another annexation.

Moscow could then use the breakaway territory to push against the rest of Moldova, seen as another target, and as a point for attacks on the Ukrainian port of Odessa, seen as a much more important prize.

Moldovan president President Maia Sandu sounded the alarm last year when she claimed that Russia is planning a coup in her country.

Its parliament has a pro-Western majority and aims for Moldova to join it European Union.

Ukrainian intelligence said Moscow’s possible move is “unconfirmed” but is being closely watched.

Sources also emphasize that it would be difficult for Putin to pull troops from the front lines in Ukraine to reinforce his forces in Transnistria, which have been stationed there since the Soviet era.

But opposition politician Gennady Ciorba warned President Sandu about the threat from the Kremlin, stating that “the psychology of Russia’s current leadership, in particular Putin, is very similar to the psychology of Hitler late 1930s.”

Ciorba continued: “Attempts to appease people like Putin only lead to one thing: the growing appetite of the aggressor.”

Ukrainian military analyst Aleksander Kovalenko described the reports as “worrying”.

And he warned: “This group [Russian] troops pose a serious threat to Moldova because it is a much more combat-ready force than the Moldovan army.”

With almost 30 percent, Russians form the largest group among the population of Transnistria.

Another 29 percent are Moldovan or Romanian, while 23 percent are Ukrainian.

It comes as the tenth anniversary of the Russian annexation of Crimea this week is over.

And yet military experts told The Sun that Ukrainian territory is still the “decisive” battle of the war.

Ten years ago, unmarked Russian tanks entered the Crimean Peninsula and thus began a painful and agonizing war that would eventually be fought throughout Ukraine.

Russian troops, called “little green men”, appeared in uniforms without insignia or carrying flags.

In less than two months between February and March 2014, Putin’s forces captured strategic locations, installed their own illegally appointed officials and annexed the peninsula.

However, experts warned that Putin’s legitimacy is tied to the disputed peninsula.

“Like Crimea falls, Vladimir Putin can do the same,” said former US General Ben Hodges.

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