Germany: Moldova could be next in line if Ukraine falls

Support for Ukraine is essential for the survival of neighboring Moldova, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Tuesday at a conference addressing concerns about increased Russian interference in the region.

“Everything that we do to support Ukraine also means fostering stabilization with regard to Moldova,” Baerbock said. “It is clear what the greatest concern of the people here is: that if Ukraine falls, Moldova is the next country in line.”

Baerbock was in Chisinau for the Moldova Partnership Platform, accompanied by her counterparts from France, Romania, Poland, the Netherlands, and Lithuania.

Germany, a major military supporter of Kyiv in Europe, initiated the platform following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The platform is part of broader efforts to stabilize Moldova’s economy and protect it from Russian disinformation.

Moldova, with a majority Romanian-speaking population and a significant Russian-speaking minority, has shifted between pro-Russian and pro-Western governments since the fall of the Soviet Union. It currently has a pro-Western administration. Moscow maintains troops in a region where pro-Russian separatists broke away from Chisinau's control during a brief conflict in the early 1990s.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu, who has accused Russia of attempting to overthrow her government, said Moldova continues to face serious challenges and called for increased support from partners.

“Russia’s war against Ukraine, which we condemned from the very first day, has caused enormous damage to our economy,” Sandu said. “The uncertainty caused by the war continues to seriously hinder our economic development and will continue to do so as long as the war lasts.”

During the platform's meeting, agreements were signed to provide Moldova with more than 300 million euros ($334 million) in loans and 80 million euros in grants, according to the government’s press service.

Allies also expressed support for Moldova’s efforts to join the European Union. Under Sandu, Moldova, situated between Ukraine and NATO and EU member Romania, aims to join the EU by 2030.

France, Germany, and Poland expressed their “unwavering and continuous support for Moldova” in its bid to join, according to a draft resolution seen by Reuters following a meeting of the three countries' top diplomats.

The countries, known as the Weimar Triangle, also pledged support for the Moldovan armed forces to defend the country, both bilaterally and as EU partners.

Reuters