BRUSSELS, 4 May. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, has assured this Wednesday that the European Union is determined to offer broad support to Moldova in its resistance to the consequences of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, which includes the forecast of increasing “significantly” the support to the country by providing military equipment to its armed forces.
“This year we plan to significantly increase our support to Moldova by providing its armed forces with additional military equipment,” he assured in a media appearance in Chisinau alongside Moldovan President Maia Sandu.
Michel recalled part of the support that the Twenty-seven have granted to Moldova to “strengthen its resilience”, including humanitarian aid to care for the thousands of refugees who have arrived from Ukraine, aware that the consequences of the aggression led by Vladimir Putin “will not stops at the Ukrainian border”.
“The EU stands in full solidarity with Moldova. It is our European duty to help and increase our support for its stability, security, territorial integrity and sovereignty. Our economic and political support must continue hand in hand,” he stressed.
For his part, Sandu has expressed that he does not see an “imminent threat” due to the war in Ukraine but has indicated that a “contingency” plan has been put in place in the face of “pessimistic” scenarios regarding a possible increase in tension in area.
Sandu has thus indicated that there is no threat “in the short term” due to the “provocations of the Russian separatists in the Transnistria region”, where a series of attacks and explosions have recently been registered, of which they have accused kyiv.
However, both Sandu and his government have blamed the incidents on pro-war separatist factions. Ukraine, for its part, has accused Russia of trying to draw Moldova into the war, although the Kremlin has expressed “concern” about the situation in the breakaway region.
