This is CBSI on the world. I'm John Bathurst, visiting with Anatole Levin of the Quincy Institute

for Responsible Statecraft here at the beginning of another year of war in Europe, war in the Middle East,

war across the Eurasian map talked about. Remember, North Korea is at war now with NATO's supplied

Ukraine. So we're looking at a map that continues to pull in all the players. And we know Iran's

intimately involved because of its technology. And we know that China is not an indifferent supplier to Russia.

They're aware of the fact that they're dual-use technology and more being used in cutouts

out of Kazakhstan and Armenia. All these things are moving very quickly. So the question is,

if the shooting stops, what about the players that have been disturbed badly?

And I'm looking at the Black Sea Basin in particular.

Moldova is a small nation.

Used to be part of the Russian Empire.

Then it was started the Soviet Empire.

Now it's struggling to be independent.

You have written of it, Anatole, and if it was the old days, I would say that Moldova's frightened day to day. I don't know that they have reason to,

but Romania is also frightened day to day. What is your measure as they begin a new year? Do they need the ceasefire in Ukraine?

Will that help them or will leave them vulnerable? Well, I mean, what Moldova needs from

ceasefire in Ukraine is the resumption of Russian gas supplies because Moldova is going to face

an appalling energy crisis because the Ukrainians have

just thundered Russian gas transit across their territory, which rather remarkably has continued

through three years of war, but they've now ended it. And Moldova has basically no alternative

sources of energy. I mean, it can try to bring them in from

the west, but it will be extremely difficult. So from their point of view, and indeed

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