PARIS/CHISINAU ¨C More than 40 European leaders will meet in Moldova on Thursday in a show of support for the former Soviet republic and neighboring Ukraine as Kyiv prepares to launch a counteroffensive against occupying Russian forces.
The gathering of the EU¡¯s 27 member states and 20 other European countries at a castle deep in Moldovan wine country will touch on a range of strategic issues and launch a new EU partnership mission in the country. But the focus will be on a symbolic show of unity on Ukraine¡¯s doorstep.
¡°If you sit in Moscow and see 47 countries in your immediate or close neighborhood meeting together, that¡¯s an important message,¡± an EU official told reporters ahead of the summit, which takes place 40 km southeast of the capital Chisinau.
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