US pledges $135 million in aid to Western-leaning Moldova to counter Russian influence
By MATTHEW LEE and VADIM GHIRDA
Associated Press
CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has pledged $135 million in aid to Moldova for energy security and to counter Russian disinformation. The Western-leaning nation is struggling to blunt Russia’s push for influence that’s been buoyed by recent successes in its war in neighboring Ukraine. Blinken opened a short visit to Eastern Europe with a stop Wednesday in Moldova’s capital, where he announced the assistance. Blinken’s trip is centered around a NATO meeting in the Czech Republic. There are concerns that Moldova and Georgia, another former Soviet republic, are facing renewed threats from Russia.