The Kremlin has yet to signal an immediate route for escalation following the appeal of lawmakers in the Russian-controlled Moldovan region of Transnistria, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in its latest assessment. On Feb. 28, lawmakers in Transnistria have asked Putin to protect their region from what they claim are threats from Moldova’s government. No country officially recognizes Transnistria, where Russia has kept a steadily dwindling military presence for decades, now standing at around 1,500 troops. The Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry said in response to the Transnistrian…