At a meeting in Berlin, more than 30 nations agreed on comprehensive aid for the Republic of Moldova, which is suffering disproportionately from the consequences of the Russian attack on Ukraine.

The supporters' conference came about on the initiative of German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens), who co-chaired with France and Romania.

Regarding the Russian aggression in Ukraine, Baerbock said that "everything indicates that we are still at the beginning of a bitter reality".

A long breath is necessary, "and we have a long breath together".

Johannes Leithauser

Political correspondent in Berlin.

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Measured against its population of around 2.5 million, most refugees from Ukraine have arrived in the Republic of Moldova, around 100,000 are still in the country.

12,000 of them are now to be flown to other countries.

Austria has already organized four such flights, Germany is preparing the third flight.

In addition, Moldova will receive humanitarian aid of 71 million euros to care for the refugees.

Overall, participants in the Moldova Support Platform pledged nearly €700 million in aid to the local government to help stabilize its finances, some in the form of grants and some in the form of loans to, as Baerbock said, the country's "financial resilience." to strengthen.

Further support commitments relate to the modernization of the power grid - Moldova has so far been dependent on the energy production of a power plant in neighboring separatist Transnistria - as well as help in maintaining the state reform course.

He is dedicated to fighting corruption.

Moldovan Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita said after the Berlin conference that the implementation of the reform projects in law and society "must continue".

The willing Western states are also offering Moldova support in controlling its borders and handling border clearance.

However, the Moldovan government has not requested direct military support.

Coordinated action by the G7 countries is necessary

In view of the brutal killings of civilians in the Ukrainian Bucha, Foreign Minister Baerbock announced Germany's willingness to deliver further weapon systems to Ukraine.

She said: “We are looking at what solutions there are.

And we do it together as the EU, as NATO and, above all, as a G-7 partner.”

Since the beginning of the war, Germany has helped Ukraine by supplying weapons, such as anti-aircraft missiles and anti-tank rocket launchers.

"There aren't many other states that have delivered more," she said.

The federal government is now looking at weapon systems that Germany has not yet passed on, said the minister.

She restricted: "However, the Bundeswehr itself hardly has any in the depots." When talking about old weapon systems, it must also be taken into account "that there are also many questions of logistics, training and spare parts - spare parts that may not be there there is more".

The older the system is, the more difficult it becomes to answer these questions.

In view of the "inhumanity" of the massacre in the Ukrainian city of Bucha, coordinated action by the G7 states, which Germany is chairing this year, is necessary.

At the foreign ministers' meeting of the NATO countries on Wednesday in Brussels, discussions will also be held on how Ukraine can be given even more defense support.

As with the sanctions, a joint approach works best.