The war in Ukraine has awakened the U.S. and EU to the reality that engagement with former Soviet and Eastern Bloc states can't continue at the "snail's speed" of the past three decades, Moldova's Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu tells Axios.
Why it matters: Russia's invasion has triggered a flood of refugees throughout Eastern Europe. Many former Soviet states like Moldova have trended westward and bent toward democracy — but also been left dangling over the prospect of EU membership and NATO protection.
