Blinken vows US support to wary Moldova as Ukraine war rages

By MATTHEW LEE
AP Diplomatic Writer
CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — 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. Blinken was meeting on Sunday with senior Moldovan officials who are appealing for international assistance in dealing with the more than 120,000 refugees from Ukraine that it is now hosting while also seeking security reassurances against potential Russian aggression. More than 230,000 people have fled into Moldova from Ukraine since the war began 11 days ago.