Tag: Moldova

Another step out of Russia

By Nina Bachkatov

President Zelensky hailed as “historic” the cessation of Russian gas exports through Ukraine on January 1. The five-year transit contract, signed at the end of 2019, had been maintained even after Russia’s invasion, as Ukraine sought to “demonstrate its reliability as a partner to Europe”. On 19st December 2024, President Zelensky confirmed that the contract would not be renewed, stating it was a move aimed at undermining Russia’s war effort. However, he said little about the potential economic consequences for Ukraine, including the loss of transit fees, the inability to siphon deliveries en route to the EU as in the past, and the heightened risk of Russian attacks on pipeline infrastructure. He also categorically ruled out transporting Russian gas disguised as Azerbaijani via Ukrainian pipelines.

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EU Eyes Moldova and Georgia

By Nina Bachkatov

On 20 October, Moldova will hold its presidential election, followed by parliamentary elections in Georgia on 25 October. In ordinary times, these events would likely pass with limited interest from voters and even less from the international community. But in 2024, the war in Ukraine looms over every development in the former Soviet space, casting these elections in the light of relations between Russia and the West. In both countries, the electoral contest is framed as a choice between “pro-European” factions seeking to distance themselves from Moscow’s influence and “pro-Russian” parties aligning with the Kremlin. This is particularly the case in Moldova, where the pro-EU government led by President Maia Sandu has coupled the presidential election with a referendum on whether to enshrine EU membership in the Constitution.

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Another gas crisis between Russia and Moldova

By Nina Bachkatov 

The latest “gas crisis” between Russia’s and Moldova’s energy companies has offered a good opportunity to measure the evolution of Moscow’s energy diplomacy. The formulation of the final agreement, published after days of bilateral discussions, says a lot. It speaks of an agreement “meeting the interests of both Russia and Moldova” and “showing to Europe and the entire world that Gazprom can come to terms and offer mutually beneficial conditions to its partners”.  In short, better with us that against us. 

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