On Monday, over 45 nations and institutions will gather in Paris to donate millions of euros in help for Moldova as concerns grow that the country might become even more unstable as a result of the crisis in Ukraine, Euractiv reports.
Moldova, a country of roughly 2.5 million people that has accepted more migrants per person than any other nation and is located between Ukraine and Romania, has suffered the consequences of rising food and energy prices as well as the arrival of thousands of refugees.
Last week, while the Russian military bombarded targets in Ukraine’s infrastructure, widespread blackouts momentarily affected more than a half-dozen cities throughout Moldova.
Following Russia’s halving of Moldova’s natural gas supply earlier in November, the European Union promised to provide 250 million euros (about $260 million) in aid, The Associated Press reported.
Moldova, which depends heavily on Russian energy supplies, is having greater problems now that winter has arrived and Moscow has reduced natural gas supplies by approximately 40%, making it harder for it to provide enough electricity to its population, Reuters reported.
Formerly a Soviet nation, Moldova now has rebels with Moscow’s support occupying sections of its territory.
Despite having close historical and linguistic links to neighboring Romania, a member of the European Union, it only receives gas from Russia’s Gazprom.
