Dozens of EU and European leaders will arrive in Moldova for a summit this week in a display of financial and political solidarity in the face of the threat from Russia.
The country of 2.6 million people which neighbors EU-member Romania and Ukraine will be in the spotlight on Thursday when the European Political Community (EPC) meets for the second time, eight months after its inaugural meeting.
The group was envisaged by French president, Emmanuel Macron, as a platform for unity across the wider European front. It brings together the leaders of the 27 EU member states, Ukraine, Turkey, the UK, and other countries in the Balkans.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development invested 525 million euros into Moldova’s economy last year.
The country has struggled with soaring inflation and the fallout of the war.
The bank specifically lent the government 300 million euros to diversify its suppliers away from Russia, which last year offered cheaper gas in exchange for Moldova weakening ties with the EU.
The EU will make a 87 million euros EU contribution to non-military logistical aid with a civilian mission in the capital, Chișinău. It will be staffed by up to 50 officials and open on Tuesday.
It aims to build Moldova’s resilience against disinformation and cyber-attacks, with support at strategic and technical levels.
Last week Moldova’s Prime Minister, Dorin Recean, said that before the Ukraine war his country was 100% dependent on Russia for its gas.
“Today Moldova can exist with absolutely no natural gas or electricity from Russia,” he said.
The country’s president, Maia Sandu, is expected to use the summit to push for quicker access to the EU.
“We do believe that Russia will continue to be a big source of instability for the years to come and we need to protect ourselves,” she said Sandu earlier this month,
“We do believe that this (EU membership) is a realistic project for us and we are looking forward to see this happening as soon as possible,” she added.
