Moldova is facing a security crisis as tens of thousands of residents in the breakaway region of Transdniestria have been cut off from Russian gas supplies, Prime Minister Dorin Recean said on January 3.
Russian gas flows through Ukraine to Central and Eastern Europe were halted at the end of 2024 when Kiev refused to continue doing business with Moscow.
Prime Minister Recean said Moldova would meet its energy needs through domestic production and imports. However, he noted that the breakaway region of Transdniestria had suffered a major blow when it lost Russian gas supplies despite its ties to Russia.
"We consider this a security crisis aimed at creating conditions for pro-Russian forces to return to power in Moldova and turn our territory into a weapon against Ukraine - a country with which we share a 1,200 km long border" - Reuters quoted the Moldovan Prime Minister.
Moldova - a Southeast European country with a population of about 2.5 million people - has been at the center of attention since the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out.
In last year's election, pro-European President Maia Sandu won a second term. He pledged to accelerate reforms and strengthen democratization. Moldova is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections this summer.
The breakaway region of Transdniestria, with a predominantly Russian-speaking population, split from Moldova in the 1990s. Transdniestria receives Russian gas via Ukraine.
Moldova used to receive most of its electricity from the Transdniestria region, but when Kiev announced it would stop transiting Russian gas, the Chisinau government prepared alternative plans.
Moldova plans to focus on domestic electricity production and import electricity from Romania, Prime Minister Recean said. He also affirmed that Moldovan authorities remain committed to supporting the breakaway region of Transdniestria.
"Alternative energy solutions, such as biomass fuel systems, generators, humanitarian aid and essential medical supplies, are ready to be provided if the separatist leadership accepts support," the Moldovan government statement said.
For his part, Transdniestria's pro-Russian leader, Vadim Krasnoselsky, said that Transdniestria has gas reserves that can cover 10 days of limited use in its northern regions and 20 days in its southern regions.
