From hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees seeking safety inside its borders, to Russian air strikes and artillery shells inching closer to its territory every day, Moldova faces a dramatic threat to its stability, its foreign minister has warned, as the shocks from Moscow’s invasion reverberate around the region.
Ukraine’s poorest neighbour has received the largest number of refugees from the war per capita, putting large strains on its economy, while its role as a non-aligned, neutral country with a breakaway state hosting 1,500 Russian troops means that western officials fear that it could be affected by a widened Moscow assault.
“We are the single most fragile neighbour of Ukraine?.?.?.?we need help to stay on our feet,” Nicu Popescu, the country’s foreign minister, told the Financial Times. “The war is a major problem for Moldova?.?.?.?it is in no one’s interest to see Moldova not be able to maintain its current political and socio-economic stability. And the risks are quite high.”