Leaders of some 45 countries are meeting in Paris on Monday to pledge millions of euros in urgent aid to the Republic of Moldova as fears grow that the conflict in Ukraine could further destabilize it, Reuters reports.

The Republic of Moldova has felt the effects of rising food and energy prices, as well as thousands of refugees arriving in this country of approximately 2.5 million people, which has taken in more refugees per capita than any other country.

Heavily dependent on energy supplies from Russia, the Republic of Moldova faces even greater difficulties with the arrival of winter and Moscow’s cut of natural gas supplies by about 40%, which will affect its ability to provide the population with sufficient electricity.

Although the Republic of Moldova has strong historical and linguistic ties with Romania, which is a member of the European Union, it relies solely on the Russian giant Gazprom for natural gas imports.

“The Republic of Moldova has been directly affected because it depends on Russian energy and it is a country with part of its territory controlled by Russian soldiers, so it is particularly vulnerable,” a French diplomat said during a briefing.

During donor conferences in Berlin and Bucharest earlier this year, pledges totaling approximately €1.3 billion were made.

The aid will be used to support the budget and electricity supply of Moldova, as well as the costs of accommodating thousands of Ukrainian refugees.