Moldova defies Russian aggression amidst energy crisis
The head of Russia's Security Council and advisor to Vladimir Putin, Nikolai Patrushev, stated that Moldova's "anti-Russian policy" will lead to the country "ceasing to exist." Chisinau reacted, calling it "unacceptable interference."
In an interview with the newspaper "Komsomolskaya Pravda," Patrushev blamed Chisinau for the energy crisis in Moldova.
- I do not exclude that Chisinau's aggressive anti-Russian policy will lead to Moldova either becoming part of another state or ceasing to exist altogether - Patrushev said.
Moldova's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned this statement.
- Such statements represent unacceptable interference in the internal affairs of our country and are aimed at destabilizing the region. The Republic of Moldova is a sovereign state that consistently follows the path of democracy and European integration, in accordance with the will of its citizens - the ministry stated.
This is not the only such comment from the Kremlin. Not long ago, the spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, claimed that Moldova is a "supplement of the Kyiv regime" (as Moscow refers to Ukraine) and also accused Chisinau of "Russophobia."
The Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that it will not comment on Zakharova's statements as they do not relate to diplomacy.
Energy crisis in Moldova
On January 1, 2025, at 7:00 AM Eastern Time, Ukraine officially halted the transit of Russian gas through its own transmission system. According to Ukraine's Ministry of Energy, the decision to suspend was made in the interest of national security.
December 31 was the last day Gazprom could reserve daily gas for Moldova via the Trans-Balkan pipeline (running through Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, and part of Ukraine's Odessa region). At the end of the year, however, Gazprom announced that it would halt supplies as Moldovagaz failed to meet its payment obligations.
Currently, Chisinau is purchasing electricity on European exchanges. This has caused rates for electricity, heating, and gas to skyrocket.
The situation is worse in Transnistria - an unofficial republic within Moldova's borders controlled by pro-Russian forces. The lack of gas supplies from Russia has led to periodic outages and the suspension of operations for most industrial enterprises.
