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Transnistria Starts Cutting Gas Supply as Ukraine Deal Expires
The Moldovan breakaway region of Transnistria has started turning the gas taps off ahead of the expiry of a gas transit deal between Russia’s Gazprom and Ukraine’s Naftogaz after Volodymyr Zelensky said he would not renew the deal.
Reuters reported that the gas supply cuts in Transnistria began on Sunday, focusing on state institutions on the border with Moldova. All of the gas Moldova—and Transnistria—get from Russia passes via the Ukraine route. The authorities of Moldova have accused Russia of weaponizing its energy resources despite the repeated statements of Ukraine’s Zelensky that Ukraine was against extending the deal with Gazprom.
Besides the end of the gas transit deal between Moscow and Kyiv, there is also an issue with unpaid Russian gas deliveries to Moldova, which Gazprom cited as the reason for a planned suspension of deliveries to the former Soviet republic beginning on January 1. According to a former Moldovan energy minister, Moldova does not owe Gazprom any money because, since 2022, Russia has been exporting gas only to Transnistria.
Russia currently exports some 2 billion cu m of natural gas to Transnistria, where the gas is used to generate electricity that is then transmitted to Moldova. Moldova has been trying to fend off Russian influence in the breakaway Transnistria region, a narrow strip of land between the Dniester River and the Ukrainian border, which isn’t recognized by the international community.
But since 2022, Transnistria and the central government of Moldova have agreed that all natural gas sent by Russian giant Gazprom to Moldova flows to Transnistria. Following the reports that Ukraine will not renew the transit deal with Gazprom, the Moldovan authorities discussed alternative supply routes with Gazprom, which has agreed to consider these but only after the outstanding debt, to the tune of $700 million, is paid.
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
Transnistria, a breakaway region of Moldova, has started cutting its gas supply as its deal with Ukraine expires. This comes as tensions rise between the two countries, with Transnistria accusing Ukraine of failing to fulfill its obligations under the agreement.
The gas supply deal, which was signed in 2017, allowed Transnistria to receive gas from Ukraine at a discounted rate. However, with the agreement now expired, Transnistria has been forced to cut its gas supply, leading to concerns about potential shortages in the region.
Transnistria has accused Ukraine of using the gas supply as a political tool, with officials claiming that Ukraine is trying to pressure the region into aligning itself more closely with Kiev. Ukraine, on the other hand, has denied these allegations and stated that it is simply enforcing the terms of the expired agreement.
The situation is further complicated by the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, with Transnistria being a pro-Russian region. This has raised concerns about the potential for the situation to escalate further and for Transnistria to become even more isolated from the international community.
As the gas supply cuts continue, residents of Transnistria are facing uncertainty about their energy supply and the future of the region. It remains to be seen how the situation will evolve and whether a new agreement can be reached between Transnistria and Ukraine.
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