Moldova is holding its breath as the war in Ukraine threatens its neighbours

Militarily neutral but with unequivocal European aspirations and with an economy heavily dependent on both the West and Russia, Moldova is Ukraine´s most fragile neighbour. Euronews Journalist Julián López Gómez went to the small nation to understand how the locals feel in the face of this current crisis.

I´ve been dispatched there to try to find answers. I spent three days travelling across the country and meeting dozens of people: pro-Western and pro-Russian people, Moldovan and Russian speakers, government ministers and small business owners.

Immediately, I got the impression that I was in a country that was holding its breath.

My first appointment was with the Maxemchuk family in a park in Chișinău, Moldova's capital. On the surface, they looked like they were on a relaxing Sunday outing, however tension and distress were palpable within this Moldovan-American household.

They tell me that, after living in this country for 19 years, their bags are ready should they need to leave the country.

"Most people here understand that it could very easily be us next. Moldova has a very similar geopolitical situation to Ukraine," said John.

"But we do not have that many to defend. Ukrainians are brave. Ukrainian men and women, are defending themselves, those who stayed there," added Aliona

John then remarked that Moldova is a tiny country, “The city of Kyiv has a larger population than Moldova, I think."

At one point, Aliona couldn't hold back her tears anymore. As she cried, she voiced her anguish.

The family embodies the fears and anxieties that the neighbouring war is creating in Moldova.

With a population of just 2.6 million people, this former Soviet republic is Europe’s poorest country. Since its independence from the Soviet Union