Tiny, landlocked Moldova struggles to deal with the fallout of Russia’s war on Ukraine

A man holds his child as families, who fled Ukraine due to the Russian invasion, wait to enter a refugee camp in the Moldovan capital Chisinau on March 3, 2022.

Russia's war on Ukraine has exposed a host of new threats for the tiny, landlocked nation of Moldova, which has grappled with an influx of Ukrainian refugees while maintaining a total dependence on Russian gas.

The smallest nation in Eastern Europe is Moldova, with a population of less than 3 million. It has been overwhelmed by hundreds of thousands of civilians fleeing Russia's ongoing military campaign in less than two months.

Of course, we can't compare ourselves with the situation in Ukraine, which is going through a lot, according to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

We are the most fragile neighbor of Ukraine because we have the least resources to deal with the situation and the aftermath of the war.

More than 400,000 people fleeing the war in Russia have crossed intoMoldova, according to Popescu.

Popescu said that Moldova relaxed entry and visa requirements for Ukrainian nationals because they were escaping the war.

Popescu said that the refugee crisis has threatened the stability and economic development of the country.

Ukrainian refugees stand next to their belongings after they arrive from Moldova at the international airport of Bordeaux on April 21, 2022.

The former Soviet republic of Moldova is in a precarious position because of the ongoing war next door.

Last week, the country submitted a questionnaire for European Union membership. Russian officials hint that the war may have the potential to expand beyond Ukraine.

Russian commander Rustam Minnekayev said that Moscow wanted full control of eastern and southern Ukraine.

The land corridor from Russia in the east to Transnistria to the Black Sea would be created.

The deputy head of the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was asked about the possibility of a Russian invasion.

They want to capture the entire Donbas. Zhovkva told NBC that they want to have a connection between the two countries. You never know with Russia, but that could be a possibility.

Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nicu Popescu speaks during a bilateral meeting hosted by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department in Washington, DC, on April 18, 2022.

Moldova's vulnerability on Eastern Europe's frontlines is due to its complete reliance on Russian gas supplies.

The Transnistria region, which is controlled by Russia and has borders with Ukraine and Moldova, gets 80% of its electricity from Russia, according to Popescu.

Popescu said that his country has limited international trading access due to its geography.

We used to import a lot of goods from Ukraine and from the port of Odesa, which was the cheapest way to ship, but now all of that has stopped, he said.