Russia is using gas as an energy weapon against the Republic of Moldova and all of Europe. However, this policy promoted by Vladimir Putin works to the opposite effect, with the EU becoming less dependent on Russian gas, notes Romanian MEP Eugen Tomac. According to the MEP, Russia’s weakening creates new possibilities for settling the Transnistrian conflict, as Ukraine will no longer tolerate areas of instability in the region.
During an official visit to Chisinau, Eugen Tomac said he found Moldova hit by multiple crises. According to the MEP, the energy crisis caused by Russia aims to discredit the pro-European government in Chisinau.
“Russia wants to destabilize the situation in the Republic of Moldova, to create this state of insecurity, to put extra pressure on the Moldovan leadership, to try to sell the idea that if you want to avoid freezing, Russia is the solution. Putin relies heavily on this energy blackmail. And here we see the betrayal on the part of those who for three decades, instead of consolidating Moldova’s energy independence, did nothing to advance energy interconnection with Romania. Now Romania offers energy resources, but our shared infrastructure remains limited”, said Eugen Tomac during a talk show on Vocea Basarabiei.
The MEP believes that Russia is losing more and more ground internationally and is becoming an aggressor state, isolated from the democratic world. According to Eugen Tomac, Russia’s plans to use the energy weapon in relation to the European Union have failed.
“No one believed that Ukraine would be able to resist, but the lesson of 2014 woke them up to a new reality. The war rewrote the history of Europe, Putin wanted to weaken NATO through propaganda and threats. The effect is that NATO is now a much more consolidated bloc. After a century of neutrality, Finland and Sweden joined NATO. Putin wanted to keep Ukraine in his sphere of influence. The effect is that Ukrainians for at least two centuries will not forget this war. Russia lost Ukraine. If last year the EU states were 40% dependent on gas imports from Russia, now gas imports have dropped to 8%”, the MEP pointed out.
Eugen Tomac also says that Ukraine’s victory in this war will determine the peaceful settlement of the Transnistrian conflict.
“This war creates new possibilities for the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict. Because Ukraine is determined to eliminate any threat in this area and has every interest to support Chisinau in solving this issue. This conflict can be resolved peacefully by convincing the elite in Tiraspol to find something better to do”, Eugen Tomac added.
