US pledges €124 million in aid to Moldova to counter Russian influence

Some €78 million will be directed to bolster energy infrastructure and €46 million to overhaul key industries and deter disinformation.

Transcript

00:00U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has pledged 124 million euros in aid to Moldova

00:06for energy security and to counter Russian disinformation.

00:10Blinken opened a visit to Eastern Europe with a stop in Moldova's capital, where he announced

00:14the aid at a press conference with President Maya Sandu.

00:18I'm happy to announce that we will also be dedicating $85 million, part of the $300 million

00:24U.S. aid effort to support energy infrastructure to help you enhance things like battery storage

00:34as well as the high voltage transmission lines that we've already dedicated some funds to.

00:39And that in turn will strengthen your energy resilience, strengthen your grid.

00:43The gas corridor as well, from Greece to Moldova, will further help wean you off of Russian

00:49energy.

00:51Moldova used to be entirely dependent on Russia for its natural gas supplies, but it faced

00:55an acute energy crisis after Moscow dramatically reduced supplies in the winter of 2022.