The European Union’s (EU) foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said on Thursday that he hoped a meeting of almost 50 European leaders in Moldova would send “a strong message’’ to Russia.

The summit, which was being held in the Moldovan town of Bulboaca, some 20 kilometers away from the Ukrainian border, should demonstrate that Europe is united in defending the international order.

“It’s important that this message reaches Russia,’’ Borrell said, arriving at the meeting to which Russia and Belarus were not invited.

Russia was not there, not because the organizers did not want to invite Russia.

This was because Russian President, Vladimir Putin excluded his country from the European community by launching an unjustified war against Ukraine, he said.