European summit opens in Moldova with Ukraine war, regional conflicts on agenda
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived at a sprawling summit of some 50 European leaders in Moldova, becoming the focal point of an event that seeks to quell regional conflicts and shore up unity in the face of Russia’s war.
Ukraine marks grim Bucha anniversary, calls for justice
Ukrainians are commemorating the anniversary of the liberation of Bucha after a brutal Russian occupation a year ago left behind hundreds of dead civilians, some with signs of torture, establishing the town near Kyiv as an epicenter of the war’s atrocities.
Moldova's PM-designate seeks confidence vote from lawmakers
Moldova’s Prime Minister-designate Dorin Recean, a pro-Western former defense and security adviser to the president will propose a new government to lawmakers on Thursday for a confidence vote, as the small country signals a shift to security concerns amid Russia’s ongoing war in neighboring Ukraine.
Moldovan President names candidate for Prime Minister
Moldova’s president has named businessman and former minister Dorin Recean as the country’s prime minister-designate after the top government position was left vacant Friday when Natalia Gavrilita unexpectedly resigned 18 months into her crises-wracked tenure.
100M euros pledged to Moldova, hit hard by war in Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron said more than 100 million euros was raised at a donors conference on Monday to help assist Europe’s poorest country, Moldova, which is suffering massive blackouts, an acute energy crisis, heavy refugee flows and potential security threats from the war in neighboring Ukraine.
EU pledges $250m to Moldova to tackle acute energy crisis
European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has paid an official visit to Moldova and announced a 250 million-euro (-dollar) support package to help the small nation overcome an acute winter energy crisis amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Blinken vows US support to wary Moldova as Ukraine war rages
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Moldova pledging America’s support to the small Western-leaning former Soviet republic that is coping with an influx of refugees from Ukraine and warily watching Russia’s intensifying war with its neighbor.
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Pro-Western candidate wins Moldovan presidential election
Former prime minister Maia Sandu prepares to cast her vote in the country's presidential election runoff in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020. Moldovans returned to the polls Sunday for the second round of voting in the country's presidential election, facing a choice between the staunchly pro-Russian incumbent Igor Dodon, and his popular pro-Western challenger, former prime minister Maia Sandu. (AP Photo/Roveliu Buga)CHISINAU – Maia Sandu, a former World Bank economist who favors closer ties with the European Union, has won Moldova's presidential runoff vote, decisively defeating the staunchly pro-Russian incumbent, according to preliminary results released Monday. Sandu and Dodon, who Russian President Vladimir Putin identified as his preferred candidate, have been rivals since he narrowly defeated her in the 2016 presidential race. It relies heavily on remittances, and closer ties with the EU are generally seen as more likely than those with Moscow to lead to a long-elusive political stability and economic recovery.
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Moldova's presidential runoff sees big Russia-West divide
Former prime minister Maia Sandu prepares to cast her vote in the country's presidential election runoff in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020. Moldovans returned to the polls Sunday for the second round of voting in the country's presidential election, facing a choice between the staunchly pro-Russian incumbent Igor Dodon, and his popular pro-Western challenger, former prime minister Maia Sandu. The challenger, former Prime Minister Maia Sandu, beat the odds to win the first round on Nov. 1, which narrowed the field from eight to two candidates. Sandu won over 36% of the vote, leaving the incumbent, President Igor Dodon, behind by over 3.5 points. Sandu, a former World Bank economist, promised during the campaign to secure more financial support from Brussels if she becomes president.