EU about the crisis in the Republic of Moldova: "In the middle of winter, the Kremlin is using energy to blackmail people"
Today, the European Union (EU) has proposed a €30 million emergency assistance package in a first step to support the Republic of Moldova in tackling the severe energy crisis provoked by Gazprom. Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos announced that a larger package will follow shortly, which aims to mitigate the social impact of the crisis on Moldovan citizens and contribute to the gradual elimination of our country's dependence on Russian energy.
The European Union stands in solidarity with the Republic of Moldova and will help it cope with the energy crisis it is facing, European leaders assured, after Prime Minister Dorin Recean announced that the Government had identified, together with the EU, immediate, emergency and long-term solutions to reduce the effects of the crisis on our country.
*"“In the middle of winter, more than three hundred fifty thousand residents in the Transnistrian region are left in the dark and in the cold because Russia decided to stop its gas deliveries. We simply cannot accept that people on our continent do not have access to the most basic services. But hard times reveal true friends. That is why we are throwing today a lifeline. We will deliver gas to the people of Transnistria and restore their access to electricity and heating", said the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
The High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, also reaffirmed the EU's commitment to support Moldova. "In times like these, the EU will always stand by its friends and allies," the European Commission Vice-President added. Kallas also thanked Ukraine for offering to supply the Cuciurgan power plant with coal.
Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos and Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen said the EU would continue to support Moldova through a new package, which would help advance the bloc's goal of reducing its dependence on Russian energy.
*"We need to act quickly and decisively in the interests of the Moldovan people to help avoid a humanitarian crisis," said Marta Kos.
*"The EU has increased its electricity exports to help the Republic of Moldova cope in these difficult times." The new emergency package will further advance our collective goal of ending Europe’s dependence on Russian energy as soon as possible,” said European Commissioner Dan Jørgensen.
The EU has today proposed an emergency assistance package worth €30 million to support the Republic of Moldova in addressing its energy crisis. Through this package, the EU is ready to finance the purchase and transport of natural gas to the Transnistrian region, to help restore electricity and heat supply to the region’s more than 350,000 inhabitants by 10 February 2025, reads a statement of the European Commission.
In addition to facilitating the purchase and transportation of gas, the EU announces that it has also supported the allocation of transmission capacities along the entire natural gas delivery route from Bulgaria and Romania to the entry points of the natural gas transmission system in the Republic of Moldova.
