Moldova says end of Russian gas for Transdniestria 'very realistic' scenario

CHISINAU, MOLDOVA — 

The termination of Russian state supplies to Moldova's breakaway portion of Transdniestria aft January 1, 2025, is simply a "very realistic" scenario, Energy Minister Victor Parlicov said connected Wednesday aft talks with Russia's Gazprom.

Parliсov spoke with the caput of Gazprom connected Monday to sermon alternate routes to proviso Transdniestria if transit done Ukraine stops.

The existent gas-transit statement betwixt Ukraine and Russia ends connected December 31 and Ukraine has said it volition not widen it. The unrecognized, Russian-backed Transdniestria portion depends heavy connected Russian earthy state supplied via Ukraine.

Parliсov told a property league successful Chisinau that Gazprom was acceptable to proviso state to Transdniestria via the existent route, but that it was up to Moldova and Ukraine to hold connected transit.

"From discussions with my Ukrainian colleagues, I recognize that if determination is simply a determination to proceed transit, it whitethorn beryllium taken astatine the past moment," Parlicov said.

Moldova receives astir 2 cardinal cubic meters of state per twelvemonth from Russia done Ukraine and since 2022, Transdniestria and Chisinau person agreed that each Russian state received by Moldova volition spell to the breakaway region.

Transdniestria has a ample powerfulness works fueled by Russian state and Chisinau, successful turn, buys energy from the portion astatine a comparatively debased fixed price.

Parlicov, speaking aboriginal connected Moldovan TV8 television, said helium felt during his talks successful St. Petersburg that Russia was little forthright successful its committedness to supporting Transdniestria, which it has backed since the illness of Soviet regularisation successful the 1990s.

"This is already not a taboo taxable similar it was before," helium said.

As an example, helium said, Transdniestria's alloy mill, a cardinal exporter, had been near virtually incapable to run aft a Russian onslaught connected a powerfulness substation successful confederate Ukraine.

He acknowledged that if state supplies were chopped to Transdniestria, the portion would request fiscal assistance to past and debar a humanitarian catastrophe.

Possible alternate

Moldova has said that if Ukraine ends the transit of Russian gas, an alternate for Transdniestria could beryllium state supplied by the TurkStream pipeline to Turkey and past done Bulgaria and Romania.

However, Parlicov told the briefing that Gazprom successful the talks had linked continued deliveries via alternate routes to its demands that Moldova wage a indebtedness connected past supplies, which according to Russian calculations stands astatine $709 million.

Moldova has said its indebtedness is $8.6 million.

"We judge that it's incorrect to nexus the indebtedness problems with supplies (to Transdniestria)," Parliсov said.

He said that supplies via some Ukraine and alternate routes could halt connected January 1 and past Chisinau would request planetary enactment to wage for state from different sources.

Gazprom has not commented connected the gathering with Moldova's minister.