Russia has demonstrated its disregard for Moldova and its contractual obligations through Gazprom’s decision to cease gas deliveries starting January 1, 2025. Former Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu made this statement, emphasizing that this is not the first crisis Moldova has faced and likely not the last. “Each crisis reveals who respects Moldova and who doesn’t,” he noted.
Popescu highlighted that Russia signed a gas delivery contract with Moldova in 2021 but has since refused to honor its obligations. He pointed out that Russia has the technical capacity to deliver gas to Moldova, including the Transnistrian region, but has chosen to breach its commitments for geopolitical reasons. “This is similar to what happened in 2022, when Russia unilaterally reduced gas deliveries, ignoring its contractual obligations,” Popescu wrote.
He further stated that Russia’s refusal to deliver gas to the Transnistrian region is driving it toward social and economic collapse. Meanwhile, Moldova is once again plunged into an energy crisis, conveniently during an election year,” Popescu added.
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The former minister also accused Russia of spreading misinformation. “Instead of gas, Moldova is receiving millions of cubic meters of fake news—stories about cheap gas from the east and insistent claims about recognizing an abusive debt of $700 million,” he said. Popescu argued that this alleged debt, not confirmed by any independent audit, is merely an attempt to extract nearly a billion dollars from Moldovan citizens.
“This is not the first crisis Moldova has faced, and probably not the last,” Popescu reiterated. “But each crisis shows clearly who respects Moldova and who doesn’t. In this case, Russia has proven its lack of respect for Moldova and its contractual commitments.”
On December 28, Gazprom informed Moldovagaz, a subsidiary it controls, that it would cease gas deliveries as of January 1, 2025, at 08:00 Moscow time.