The U.S. intends to work with Congress to grant $300 million through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to assist Moldova in addressing the acute energy situation made worse by the Russian Federation’s violent invasion of Ukraine and attacks on the Ukrainian electricity grid, a press release states.
In response to the Kremlin’s ongoing efforts to weaponize energy in order to undermine Moldova’s independence and sovereignty, this investment will bolster the country’s energy security.
With this support, Moldova will be able to meet the immediate requirements brought on by Putin’s war while also strengthening its linkages to Europe and long-term energy resilience. Funding includes $80 million in direct budget support to help offset the cost of the country’s record-high electricity costs in response to needs highlighted by the Moldovan government to assist its population through the present crisis.
This aid also contains $135 million to promote the creation of high-priority electric power generation initiatives in Moldova to help diversify the nation’s electricity supply, and $85 million to strengthen Moldova’s capacity to obtain energy supplies from alternative sources and efforts to improve power system resilience in order to increase the country’s long-term energy security.
Prior to this declaration, the United States had already given Moldova $267 million in emergency aid to help it deal with the effects of Putin’s war against Ukraine on its economy, energy, security, and humanitarian aid while continuing to advance its agenda for economic and democratic change.
This includes $30 million in fiscal support and $40.5 million in energy-related funding that were given to the Government of Moldova in January 2023 to help alleviate the energy crisis brought on by the unprovoked and unjustified aggression of the Kremlin.
The U.S. government’s sustained support for the government and people of Moldova is reaffirmed by an additional $300 million investment as the nation deals with previously unheard-of economic, energy, security, and humanitarian concerns in the wake of Putin’s assault against Ukraine.
