The electoral promises of pro-Russian parties in the Republic of Moldova regarding cheap gas are being questioned even by Vladimir Putin. The Patriotic Electoral Bloc, formed by the PSRM and PCRM, as well as the parties led by Vasile Tarlev and Irina Vlah, announced that they would bring gas at 5 lei per cubic meter if they come to power. Previously, Ilan Shor also promised gas at 10 lei per cubic meter for Gagauzia, but the pledge remained unfulfilled, reports BANI.MD.
In reality, Russia is facing clear signs of a gas deficit, acknowledged by President Vladimir Putin himself at the Vladivostok Economic Forum, according to The Moscow Times. “We have a gas deficit ahead,” the Kremlin leader declared, highlighting the structural problems of the energy infrastructure and the need for massive investments in internal networks.
Putin even suggested switching to coal, a resource Russia claims to hold in sufficient quantities “for almost 900 years.” The statement comes as Russia’s gas production has been declining since the start of the war with Ukraine, after Gazprom lost access to the European market.
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Official data show a collapse in extraction: 762.8 billion m³ in 2021 (before the war), 673.8 billion m³ in 2022, 638 billion m³ in 2023 (the lowest in six years), and 685 billion m³ in 2024, still 10% below the pre-war level.
While promising cheap gas to Moldovans, Moscow is struggling to secure its own domestic supply: Russia’s “gasification” rate was only 74.7% at the end of 2024, with the official program aiming to reach 76.7% only by 2027.
Thus, the “cheap gas electoral weapon” used by pro-Russian parties in Moldova is being undermined by the Kremlin’s own economic reality: resources are dwindling, infrastructure is lacking, and Russia itself is beginning to speak openly about possible shortages.