UPDATE - EU countries pledge strong support for Moldova amid Ukraine crisis

UPDATES WITH REFUGEE FIGURES; ADDS BACKGROUND

BERLIN (AA) – European countries, led by Germany and France, pledged strong political, financial and humanitarian support to Moldova on Tuesday, as the country faces growing challenges due to the war in neighboring Ukraine.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told an international conference in Berlin that they will mobilize immediate support for Moldova to help the country manage the refugee crisis, address security concerns, and reduce its dependence on Russia.

“This is not a favor to Moldova. This is about us. It’s also about our security. It’s about our common European peace project,” Baerbock said, and underlined that EU countries will strengthen their cooperation with Moldova with a long-term perspective.

“Russia’s war is not just an attack on the Ukrainian people. It is also an attack on our rule-based international order, and our values,” she said, and slammed Moscow for its threats against the countries in the region.

“All people have the right to decide their own future. No one should be at the mercy of their stronger neighbor. Neither the people of Ukraine, nor the people of Moldova,” she added.

Baerbock said Moldova can count on its European and trans-Atlantic partners in overcoming the challenges posed by the major influx of refugees from Ukraine.

Since Russia's war on Ukraine began on Feb. 24, nearly 400,000 Ukrainian refugees have crossed into the small Eastern European country, according to official figures. Around 100,000 people have decided to stay in the country.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who co-hosted the support conference, thanked Moldova for opening their borders to refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine, and promised that European countries will demonstrate strong solidarity with the country.

“This mobilization of support will be a success, not only because of our solidarity or generosity, but also because we clearly understand that we have a joint interest. Your security is our security,” he stressed.

Several European countries fear that Russia may seek to destabilize the former Soviet republic with fueling tensions in Moldova’s breakaway region of Transdniestria.