US Secretary of State Blinken to visit Moldova

Today, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Chisinau to meet with Moldovan President Maia Sandu and other government officials.

Blinken is expected to announce a new “support package” for Moldova, aimed at further reinforcing its energy sector and thereby reaffirming US support for Moldova on its path to European integration. As another step to align its economic legislation with EU standards, Chisinau has implemented new customs duties on goods imported to and exported from the breakaway region of Transnistria, which sells 70% of its products in EU markets. Since the onset of the separation, the region has received substantial aid from Moscow, such as subsidized Russian natural gas. However, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, this assistance has sharply decreased. Additionally, Kyiv has closed all border crossing points, cutting Transnistria off from key supply routes.

The independence that the ruling party of Transnistria ardently seeks could lead to an even greater economic crisis, as it will create additional barriers to accessing the EU market. Although Transnistria has already sought “protection” from Russia, Moscow is unable to provide significant assistance and is unlikely to have plans to annex it. Reintegration into Moldova would save the separatist region from economic decay, but this is not expected to happen any time soon, given that a significant portion of the region’s population holds Russian passports and supports joining Russia.