Amid high inflation, power-grid cuts and other pressures applied by Russia and spilling over from the war in Ukraine, Moldova’s government, which opposed the Russian invasion, resigned Friday.
Pro-Western Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita had been in office since 2021. On Friday, Moldova’s president, Maia Sandu, named Dorin Recean — a former cabinet member who also backs European Union membership for Moldova — to succeed Gavrilita, subject to legislative approval. When Gavrilita took office, few foresaw “so many crises caused by Russian aggression in Ukraine,” she said in the resignation announcement, the BBC reported.
Earlier in the day, a Russian missile fired at Ukraine crossed over Moldova and came within 22 miles of Romania, a NATO member, the Romanian Defense Ministry said.
Here’s the latest on the war and its impact across the globe.
Key developments
Return to menu
- Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu maintained that the prime minister has not resigned because of instability resulting from the war. “The situation is under control,” he said in an interview. “It’s not related to geopolitics.” The key factor, said Viorel Ursu, Moldova’s ambassador in Washington, was “the need to accelerate the preparedness for E.U. accession.”
- From London, to Paris, to Brussels, “Partners have heard our position, our arguments,” Zelensky said in his nightly address Friday, reflecting on his “diplomatic marathon” of the past week, during which he addressed the European Council in Brussels and the British Parliament in London, and met separately with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
- In Moscow, the Kremlin confirmed Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin would deliver a high-profile address to the country’s Federal Assembly on Feb. 21. Under Russia’s Constitution, Putin is expected to make the speech annually, but he skipped it last year. He is expected to mention the war in Ukraine, which Russia dubs a “special military operation,” as the anniversary of the invasion approaches.
- President Biden is set to visit Poland on Feb. 20 for the first anniversary of the war, the White House announced Friday, where he will meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda to discuss collective support for Ukraine. John Kirby, the coordinator for strategic communications for the National Security Council, said at a news briefing that Biden wants to send a message of U.S. and international resolve, and “make it very clear that the United States will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
- Ukraine uses specific coordinates provided or confirmed by U.S. military personnel for the majority of its rocket strikes, The Washington Post reported. The disclosure reveals that the Pentagon is playing a more significant role in the war than previously known.
- The Pentagon is urging Congress to resume funding top-secret programs in Ukraine, current and former U.S. officials have told The Post. The programs were suspended ahead of Russia’s invasion last year and, if resumed, could allow U.S. Special Operations troops to employ Ukrainian operatives to observe Russian military movements and counter disinformation. Congressional officials say it is difficult to predict the outcome.
