Moldova no longer buys Russian gas, President Maia Sandu said on Nov. 8, also announcing the launch of a new power line that will link her country to the European power grid through Romania, The Kyiv independent reports.
"For decades, Moscow used energy to blackmail us. No more: Moldova buys zero Russian gas," Sandu said on social media.
The Vulcanesti–Chisinau power line is a 400-kilowatt extra-high-voltage line that will span across 158 kilometers (98 miles) and help Moldova integrate into Europe's energy system.
Two more power lines to Romania are "on their way," according to Sandu.
The move comes as part of Chisinau's broader efforts to deepen ties with Europe and eventually join the EU, while ending its energy dependence on Moscow.
Moldova previously depended heavily on the Cuciurgan power station in the Russian-occupied region of Transnistria. The plant, the largest one in Moldova, is owned by one of Russia's biggest public energy companies, the Moscow-based Inter RAO.
Russia has long wielded gas exports as a geopolitical tool to exert pressure on European governments. The EU has moved to reduce Russian energy imports after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and is banning all Russian gas as of next year.
As part of peace efforts, Washington proposed resuming gas exports to Europe through a U.S. intermediary to potentially generate revenue for Ukraine and help secure a ceasefire.
