

CHISINAU: The European Union said on Tuesday that it would support Moldova with 250 million euros this year to help bolster the country's energy security. Russia's Gazprom halted supplies to Moldova's breakaway region of Transnistria on January 1 over a debt dispute with the Moldovan government.
The aid announced on Tuesday is part of a two-year plan aimed at "decoupling Moldova from the insecurities of Russian supply of energy and fully integrating it in the EU energy market," the European Commission said in a statement. "Russia is blackmailing Moldova with energy, just like it once tried with the EU. Our comprehensive strategy... will put an end to this," European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X. After a press briefing in Chisinau, the EU's Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos wrote on X that "A stronger economy and energy security are key for Moldova's prosperity in Europe". Moldova's President Maia Sandu hailed the new funding, saying the EU was "always... here to support us in difficult situations". — AFP
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