Russian missiles land less than 100 miles from Moldova’s border. Last month mysterious explosions shook the headquarters of a security agency in the Russian-backed separatist enclave. An economic crisis is imminent. And a Russian general has threatened to extend the war in Ukraine to the Moldovan border.
Unlike other western neighbors hosting Ukrainian refugees, Moldova is not a member of the European Union and lacks the resources the bloc has to accommodate and handle the rapid flow of asylum seekers. Yet Moldova has received more Ukrainian refugees per capita than any other EU state, in a piling up of crises that has raised concerns that the small southeastern European country could become the number one place for spillover violence from Ukraine.
In an exclusive interview with The Daily Beast, Moldova’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Nicu Popescu, called on the United States and the EU to pay more attention to Moldova’s struggle to maintain the country’s economy and security. He called for “flexible and prompt assistance to Ukraine’s most vulnerable neighbor”.
Since the first Russian bombs fell on the Ukrainian city of Odessa on February 24, Moldova, a country of some 2.6 million inhabitants, has hosted more than 400,000 refugees who have escaped Vladimir Putin’s devastating war. Most are in transit to other countries, but there are about 100,000 left. Ukrainians fleeing the violence to Moldova were warmly welcomed; volunteers waited for refugees with homemade food, a friendly hug and shelter at private homes. But resources are under pressure.
In contrast to Germany, where the average monthly wage is about 3,900 euros, Moldovans earn about 500 euros per month. It is an agricultural country with an economy largely dependent on the export of fruit and vegetables to Russia via Ukraine, a trade that has now been shut down by the war next door. Prices for food, clothing and gasoline rose dramatically during the 77-day war.
In addition, Moldova was recently rocked by a series of mysterious explosions in the breakaway region of Transnistria, the base for about 1,500 Russian soldiers. “We were deeply concerned,” Popeskto said. “There is a spectrum of scenarios, threats and risks.”
Ukrainian refugees wait to cross the border on April 9.
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Ukrainian refugees waiting to cross the border on April 9.
Matteo Placucci/NurPhoto via Getty
Just days before the explosions, senior Russian commander Rustam Minnekayev spoke of connecting the separatist area of Moldova with a Russian-occupied zone in Ukraine along the Black Sea, essentially suggesting an extension of the conflict into Moldova. It is still unclear who was behind the rocket-propelled grenade attacks on the headquarters of the Transnistrian security forces and some Soviet-era radio towers. Moldova’s reformist President Maya Sandu condemned the attacks as “attempts to trick the Republic of Moldova into actions that could endanger the peace”.
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Authorities say there are no immediate risks of the Russian war expanding, but fears that Moldova could turn into the next Ukraine are certainly beginning to reach citizens. The country already has its own internally displaced persons, who are moving west away from potential attacks. Several thousand people have moved since the war started in Ukraine, Popescu told The Daily Beast.
Ukrainian refugees hug each other after reunification on their way back to Ukraine along the Ukrainian-Moldavian border on April 12.
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