An energy crisis that has left hundreds of thousands of people without heating and hot water in the breakaway region of Transnistria could soon end, officials in neighboring Moldova said Monday
The Moldovan officials reported that the Moscow-friendly leaders of Transnistria had indicated they would accept shipments of gas from the European market to replace lost Russian supplies. The move reverses a decades-long policy by the enclave of relying on the Kremlin — and creates an opportunity for Moldovan authorities to consolidate control over Transnistria.
In a statement seen by POLITICO, Oleg Serebrian, Moldova’s deputy prime minister and territorial reintegration chief, said a solution had been agreed “in order to resolve the energy and social crisis” in Transnistria. Russian state energy firm Gazprom had previously announced it would end exports to the unrecognized state at the beginning of the year, citing unpaid debts disputed by the Moldovan government.
Industry has since ground to a halt in the region, which has been governed autonomously since the fall of the Soviet Union and hosts more than a thousand Russian troops on its territory. Transnistria had until now received free fuel from Moscow, funding its budget with electricity sales to Moldova.
Serebrian said leaders in Transnistria’s de facto capital, Tiraspol, have confirmed they will accept deliveries of natural gas by Moldova’s Moldovagaz, an offer that leaked documents showed they had previously refused, with the separatist government paying Moldova for the supplies. Earlier on Monday, Vadim Krasnoselsky, the leader of the unrecognized breakaway state, said his administration would accept shipments via Moldova.
“The competent courts of the Republic of Moldova are analyzing this request, the entities and the compliance of the procedure with national and international legal [standards],” Serebrian said.
Granted anonymity to speak freely about the sensitive talks, a senior Moldovan official told POLITICO they would be watching to ensure Moscow does not use the arrangement to continue to strengthen its hold over Moldova, having previously weaponized the flow of fossil fuels to trigger economic crises in the region.
“It is essential to ensure there are no backdoor deals and that the gas supply to the Transnistrian region complies with the EU energy regulations Moldova has committed to, aligns with international sanctions on Russia, and adheres to global standards for preventing money laundering,” the official said.
The EU, which has granted Moldova candidate status despite the territorial conflict, has previously called on the Transnistrians to accept deliveries of fuel from the government.
Transnistria’s self-declared Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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