Moldova Declares 60-Day Emergency Amid Potential Russian Gas Cutoff to Transdniestria

Dec 13, 2024, 02:41 AM

Moldova's parliament has declared a 60-day state of national emergency starting December 16, in anticipation of a potential cut-off of Russian gas supplies from January 1. The decision was made in response to Prime Minister Dorin Recean's call to secure gas for the separatist Transdniestria region and to end what he described as Moscow's 'gas blackmail.' The state of emergency allows the government to respond quickly and curb energy exports. In the 101-seat chamber, 56 members supported the measure. Moldova receives about 2 billion cubic meters of gas per year from Russia via Ukraine, whose transit contract with Gazprom expires at the end of December. Recean highlighted that the transit issue through Ukraine is an 'artificial problem,' suggesting alternative routes like the TurkStream pipeline through Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania. However, Gazprom has linked continued gas deliveries via alternative routes to Moldova's payment of a $709 million debt for past supplies. Transdniestria, which has no international recognition, declared its own economic emergency on Tuesday. The cessation of gas supplies to Transdniestria could lead to a humanitarian crisis and destabilize Moldova's electricity sector.