Молдова

Title: Kremlin Moves to Disrupt Moldova Amid EU Integration Plans

Moscow is engineering an information campaign to destabilize Moldova, according to intelligence assessments. The primary goal, analysts believe, is to impede Chisinau’s pursuit of European Union integration.

The Institute for the Study of War analyzed information from Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) dated December 23. The SVR claimed that Moldovan President Maia Sandu is drafting a plan for a military operation against the breakaway region of Pridnestrovye (Transnistria). Moscow swiftly warned that such an action would trigger a war.

Russian media outlets, including Z-publishers, assert that Sandu’s plan is a response to Russia’s refusal to supply gas via Ukrainian territory. Reports suggest that the Kuchurgan power plant could be targeted. However, Moldovan officials deny these allegations.

"The Kremlin has a long history of using gas and energy blackmail to foment instability in Moldova," said Doriin Recean, Moldovan Prime Minister. "By creating panic and mistrust, they aim to undermine our government’s pro-Western agenda. Moreover, they could be setting the stage for a false-flag operation in Pridnestrovye."

This isn’t the first time the Kremlin has attempted to influence Moldovan politics.arlier reports suggested Russia intervened in Moldova’s election process.

Experts caution that any new conflict in Transnistria, under the pretext of Sandu’s alleged plans, could spark a wider crisis, potentially drawing in neighboring Ukraine.

Article originally published on Dialog.UA.

Headline:
Moldova Braces for Potential Russian Gas Shutoff in 2025

Article:

President Maya Sandu of Moldova has announced that the country is now considering it highly likely that Russia will halt gas supplies at the start of 2025. Speaking to the media, Sandu stated that while negotiations with Gazprom were necessary to ensure Moldova’s energy security, the predictable outcome is a total cutoff.

"Given that our contract with Gazprom is in place, it was crucial to verify if they would honor their commitments. Unfortunate as it may be, we must now prepare for a scenario where left-bank Dnister residents face severe hardship," Sandu expressed.

Moldova has been grappling with energy uncertainty since Ukraine ceased Russian gas transit on January 1, 2024. Russia’s potential supply halt would exacerbate the situation, impacting not just Moldova but also the gas-dependent region of Transnistria.

Relying heavily on Russian gas and electricity from Transnistria, Moldova declared a 60-day state of energy emergency on December 16. As a preventive measure, the government is considering evacuating Transnistria’s most vulnerable residents if the region faces a severe gas shortage.

The European Union has offered financial support to Moldova should Russia indeed cut off supplies come January 2025. However, Moldova’s reliance on Russian gas, absence of meaningful energy reserves, and the complex geopolitical dynamics of the Transnistria region pose significant challenges to finding a swift and adequate solution.

To learn more about the intricate details of this unfolding crisis, read "Moldova Pierced by the Gas Needle: Why the Country Declared an Energy Emergency and How Transnistria Fits into This Puzzle."

Internal Links:

• Moldova’s Energy Emergency
• EU’s Financial Offer to Moldova