The transit contract that regulates the supply of Russian natural gas through Ukraine expires on 1 January. Russia’s state-owned company Gazprom uses this route to supply pro-Russian Transnistria with energy free of charge – but also to deliver gas to a large power plant in Tiraspol which then sells electricity in the Republic of Moldova. Both parts of the country have now declared a state of emergency.
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Russia’s final trump
The Romanian service of Deutsche Welle suspects a political intrigue on Moscow’s part:
“Russia has not reserved any capacity to supply Transnistria via the Trans-Balkan pipeline [from Turkey] for the period after 31 December 2024. The last day on which this would have been possible was 16 December. An interruption in Russian gas supplies to Transnistria would lead to the economic collapse of the region and a humanitarian crisis in Tiraspol, as well as a 40 percent shortfall in the electricity supply to Chișinău. Russia is playing its last card to ensure that Moldova’s pro-European course fails. The goal is to compromise the pro-European government in the run-up to the elections, including the all-decisive parliamentary elections in 2025.”
The wrong debate in this time of crisis
Jurnalul National criticises the fact that the parties forming a government in Bucharest are currently debating the abolition of Romania’s energy ministry:
“The situation can only be saved by massive additional electricity imports from Romania and Ukraine or by supplying gas via alternative routes – but then at a much higher price. In Bucharest, on the other hand, there are discussions about abolishing the energy ministry at a time of huge tensions on the regional energy market, which are set to increase because the energy price is no longer to be capped in future. … The transport routes through Ukraine, a complex legacy from the Soviet era, are being phased out – and are now being brutally exploited in a hybrid war in which the Russians are the masters.”
There’s a price to pay for cutting the cord with Moscow
agora.md hopes that this will be the last harsh winter for Moldova:
“It’s true that this winter citizens on both sides of the Dniester will again have to make many cutbacks – from reducing their energy consumption to using existing resources as efficiently as possible. But despite all these challenges, there is hope that these measures will be the last major sacrifice before a new phase begins for Moldova, one characterised by energy security and independence from Russian influence. The fact that no Russian gas is now flowing through Ukraine means that several states will strategically cut the cord with Russia. And that can only be a good thing.”