Transparency International highlighted that Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has further entrenched authoritarianism, with the Kremlin suppressing dissent, redirecting resources to its military agenda, and eliminating independent voices.
"If we compare January with July last year, we see a 45% decrease," State Border Guard spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said.
Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said that Tiraspol rejected the EU's financial assistance allegedly due to conditions attached to the aid package. He attributed the decision to Russian influence.
The European Commission and Moldova signed a two-year strategy for energy independence and resilience, allocating 250 million euros ($258 million) to Chisinau in 2025, the commission said on Feb. 4.
Moldova will supply 3 million cubic meters of gas to the Russian-occupied Transnistria region on February 1, under an agreement signed earlier in the week, Reuters reported.
Earlier in the day, Maia Sandu arrived in Kyiv on an official visit to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky and discuss several issues, including the energy crisis.
"I bring a strong message of support for Ukraine and its people. Their courage secures our peace," Maia Sandu wrote on X.
According to the Kommersant's sources, gas may be purchased from January to April in the amount of up to 3 million cubic meters per day. The outlet estimates the price at $164 million. The costs are likely to be compensated by the Russian budget, the newspaper reported.
Russia’s state-controlled energy giant Gazprom halted gas supplies to Moldova on Jan. 1, citing alleged unpaid debts by Moldovagaz.
Moldovan officials have condemned recent remarks by Nikolai Patrushev, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who claimed that Moldova “will either become part of another state or cease to exist” due to its “anti-Russian policy,” Moldovan media outlet NewsMaker reported on January 14.
Vadim Krasnoselsky, the head of Moldova's Russian-controlled region of Transnistria, held talks in Moscow regarding the region’s energy crisis, Russian state news agency TASS claimed on Jan. 14, citing sources within Transnistria's administration.
By halting natural gas supplies to Moldova on Jan. 1, Russia created an unprecedented economic crisis in the Russian-occupied part of the country — Transnistria. The crisis prompted a question: will the breakaway region, occupied by Russia since 1992, survive without Russian gas? Free-of-charge Russian gas had been the backbone of
The European Union is allocating an additional 140 million euros ($143 million) in humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, the European Commission said in a statement on Jan. 13.
Authorities in Moldova's Russian-controlled region of Transnistria announced on Jan. 11 that energy-saving measures have allowed them to ease restrictions caused by a halt of Russian gas supplies.
VARNIȚA, Moldova — The buzzing sound of chainsaws and generators is now common in Varnița, a village of 5,000 that borders Moldova's Russian-controlled region of Transnistria. Located next to the Russian-controlled city of Bender (Tighina), the village is subordinated to Chișinău but depends on the neighbouring breakaway region for its
Gas storage in Moldova's Russian-occupied region of Transnistria will last another 24 days after the halt of Russian supplies, local authorities said on Jan. 8.
"An important task now is to help Moldova overcome its energy challenges and prevent Moscow from stirring up social tensions. ... We are ready to help," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 8.
"Russian propaganda tries to create a story in which Moldova becomes a ‘problematic actor,’ although the government has proposed clear solutions to avoid the crisis," Moldovan government spokesperson Daniel Voda said on Jan. 6.
The electricity supply system in the Russian-occupied Moldovan region of Transnistria is under risk of collapse after the halt of Russian gas flow, a high-ranking official of Moldova’s Energy Ministry warned in a Facebook post on Jan. 5.
Some 1,500 high-rise buildings in Transnistria are currently without heating and hot water, and nearly 72,000 homes are without gas.
"Russia is revealing the inevitable outcome for all its allies — betrayal and isolation," Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said on Jan. 3.
Moldova had previously offered to assist the Russian-occupied region in securing gas via European platforms to mitigate the energy crisis. Transnistrian officials rejected the offer, saying they believe Gazprom will resume Russian gas supplies.
Moldova has offered to help Transnistria purchase gas through European platforms. Vadim Cheban, head of Moldovagaz, said on Jan. 2 that Chisinau is ready to assist Transnistrian authorities in securing energy resources on market terms to mitigate the crisis.
Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean has criticized the Kremlin for using energy as a "political weapon."
Russian Gazprom's decision to halt gas supplies to Moldova resulted in a heating outage in the Russian-controlled region of Transnistria, prompting Chisinau to seek alternative sources of electricity.
Ukraine has repeatedly warned that it would not extend the gas transit agreement when it expires at the end of 2024 because it did not want to finance Russia's war.
Russia's energy giant Gazprom claimed the decision was related to Moldova's outstanding debt, not problems with transit via Ukraine.
The country's defense strategy seeks to increase spending to 1% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030.
"Moldova condemns these acts and stands in full solidarity with Ukraine," Moldovan President Maia Sandu said.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu begins her second term in office on Dec. 24 in unprecedented circumstances. Russian meddling in domestic affairs is widespread, and the Kremlin makes clear their position of not acknowledging Sandu as a legitimate president of her own country. Sandu also begins her term amid an energy
Moldova enacted a state of emergency, as the country gears up for an energy crisis at the start of 2025 following the end of Ukraine's obligations to transport Russian gas through its territory. Moldova, and especially the country's breakaway region of Transnistria, will be hit the hardest following the end
Moldova's parliament on Dec. 13 voted to introduce a 60-day-long state of emergency starting Dec. 16 over the expected halt of Russian gas transit via Ukraine.
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