The European Union on Wednesday (27 October) said it was giving Moldova EUR 60 million to help cope with a gas crisis after Russia’s Gazprom hiked prices.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen pledged the bloc’s “full support” to the ex-Soviet country at a meeting with Moldova’s pro-Western Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița in Brussels.

Gavrilița tweeted that she was “deeply touched by the EU show of solidarity” and that the grant was “great news for the Moldovan people”, according to Euractiv.com.

Moldova’s government has declared a state of emergency and imported gas from outside Russia — its Communist-era master — for the first time in its history after Gazprom hiked prices for the impoverished country.

Moldova’s gas contract with Russia’s Gazprom expired at the end of September, and the two have failed to agree on a new price.

Last week, Russian media reported that Gazprom is threatening to cut the country off if it does not settle its debts and sign a new contract by December.

In the last few days, Moldova has been buying some gas in Europe and the government has said it will continue talks with Gazprom.

Moldova’s Energocom state energy firm said on Wednesday it had bought 1.5 million cubic meters (mcm) of gas with the delivery set for 28 October via Ukraine and Romania. The gas would be supplied by the Swiss-based DXT Commodities and Poland’s PGNiG.