According to RT, the reason given was the historical debt of up to 709 million USD that Moldova has not paid, a figure that the Chisinau government firmly denies.
According to the announcement, Gazprom will cut gas supplies to zero from 8:00 a.m. on January 1, 2025 (Moscow time), citing contract terms and Russian law. The corporation asserted its right to unilaterally terminate the contract and demand compensation from Moldovagaz, a company in which Gazprom owns a 50% stake.
In response, Vadim Ceban, interim director of Moldovagaz, pledged that Moldova will import gas from European and regional markets to meet domestic consumption needs until March 2025.
However, Moldova's energy situation remains in a state of alarm as the country's parliament declared a 60-day state of emergency from December 16, expecting to face power shortages and energy supply disruptions.
Moldova receives gas from Russia via Ukraine's transit network under a five-year contract with Gazprom, which expires on December 31. However, Ukraine has announced that it will not renew the contract, causing gas flows to Moldova to be completely interrupted from the beginning of 2024.
Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Serebrian admitted that Ukraine would be unlikely to maintain transit “just for Moldova.” In addition, relations between Moldova and Gazprom have been strained since 2021, when Moldova rejected new terms offered by Gazprom and accused the Russian company of using gas as a tool of political pressure.
Although the initial deals offered relatively low prices, tensions began to emerge as gas prices rose. By 2007, Moldova was paying $170 per 1,000 cubic meters, up sharply from the $80 it had paid in the early 2000s.
The dispute over debt and pricing escalated, culminating in a $709 million debt that Gazprom claimed Moldova owed. A 2022 audit by Moldova largely dismissed the debt, saying the actual figure was just $9 million. Moldova insisted that the debt owed to the breakaway region of Transnistria, which receives cheap gas from Russia in exchange for electricity, was not its responsibility.
Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean has criticised Gazprom’s move as a “pressure tactic” and said the debt would not be recognised. He said the government would take the case to international arbitration to protect national interests.
Faced with the threat of losing Russian gas supplies, Moldova is forced to look to alternative energy sources from Europe. However, in the context of rising global energy prices, ensuring enough gas and electricity for its people will be a major challenge.
