EU sees Moscow's "blatant attempt" to intimidate Moldova - von der Leyen

Russia's squeezing of Moldova's gas supplies is a "blatant attempt" by Moscow to intimidate Moldova's reformist government, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday. Von der Leyen, addressing the European Parliament, said the European Union wanted good relations with Russia, but this depended first and foremost on Russia's behaviour, referring initially to its military build-up on Ukraine's border.

"We also see the blatant attempt to intimidate Moldova's reformist government by squeezing them on gas-supplies at a time of high energy prices," she said. "We must protect our societies and democracies from this kind of cynical geopolitical power play."