British Foreign Secretary brings financial aid to Moldova, but will not help with weapons
Ukraine's ability to resist the Russian army will save Moldova from a Russian attack, Cleverly said
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is on a visit to Moldova. There he said that London would not stand by and watch in silence as Russia destabilizes the situation in this country, as well as in Georgia. But, according to him, London is not considering military assistance to Chisinau, the BBC reports.
Cleverly said that Moldova will be saved from a Russian attack by Ukraine's ability to resist the Russian army on the battlefield, and Britain is ready to help in every way.
"We firmly believe that one of the best ways to protect Moldova from attack by Russia is to help Ukrainians to resist Russian aggression," he told reporters after a meeting with the Moldovan leadership.
"Few places are more familiar with Russia's behind-the-scenes tactics of malign activity than Moldova and Georgia. Britain will not sit idly by while Moscow undermines their democracy, sovereignty and territorial integrity," the Foreign Secretary said.
James Cleverly arrived in Chisinau to announce additional financial assistance that the UK government has decided to allocate to Moldova and Georgia.
Chisinau will receive another $12 million from London to finance economic and political reforms, including changes in the energy sector. Another 12 million pounds will be provided to Moldova to fight corruption, and the country will also receive 600,000 pounds to hold free and transparent elections in 2024.
"Britain is stepping up financial support for Moldova and Georgia as they face destabilization caused by Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine," the Foreign Office said in a statement.
Since last summer, protests in Moldova have been ongoing, which their organizers call purely anti-government, but many consider openly pro-Russian. The sponsor of the protests, who is hiding abroad, oligarch Ilan Shor, has previously been linked to Russian elites representing the interests of the Kremlin.
Background. The Moldovan parliament reportedly abolished the concept of the "Moldovan language" and replaced it with Romanian.
If you have read this article to the end, we hope that means it was useful for you.
We work to ensure that our journalistic and analytical work is of high quality, and we strive to perform it as competently as possible. This also requires financial independence. Support us for only UAH 196 per month.
Become a Mind subscriber for just USD 5 per month and support the development of independent business journalism!
You can unsubscribe at any time in your LIQPAY account or by sending us an email: [email protected]
