Lithuania leads Baltic States to energy independence
Lithuania, along with Latvia and Estonia, has successfully synchronized its power grid with continental Europe, after disconnecting all lines linking the Baltic States to the Russian energy system on Saturday.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda made the announcement at a joint press conference with the leaders of Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and the European Commission. He emphasized that disconnecting from the Soviet-era Russian power grid and synchronizing with EU countries signifies “complete energy independence” and the end of “political pressure and blackmail.”
“Goodbye Russia, goodbye Lenin,” said Gitanas Nauseda, as the audience erupted in applause. The Lithuanian president also warned that the EU and the Baltic region must still enhance their energy capabilities, referring to recent incidents involving underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.
“Now is the time to protect our achievements. Russia's war against Ukraine has fundamentally changed the perception of threats to Europe’s critical infrastructure,” he added.
“These power grids that once connected you to hostile neighbors will now belong to the past. This is freedom from threats and blackmail,” he stated.
“Long before Russian tanks entered Ukraine, you warned us that cheap Russian gas came at a hidden price—the price of dependence. Now, all of Europe is gradually weaning off Russian fossil fuels. This marks a new era,” Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said.
“It is also an important day for Poland, as we serve as a bridge between the Baltic States and the rest of Europe. The synchronization significantly enhances our security and sovereignty. At a time when Poland and other countries in our region had built their energy cooperation with Russia, some EU member states were solely focused on fostering these relationships. Nord Stream 2 was an example of such shameful voices and decisions driven by selfish interests. February 2022 changed everything for the European Union,” said Polish President Andrzej Duda.
“Unfortunately, Europe is still buying natural gas from Russia, and the Russian phantom fleet continues to cause problems in the Baltic Sea. Russia's sabotage campaign against us continues. I urge all European countries to increase their independence. I firmly support the objective of halting all Russian energy imports into the European Union,” emphasized Estonian President Alar Karis.
“When it comes to defense and security, we all understand that it is time for Europe to wake up, spend more on defense, and increase its defense capabilities and defense industry,” said Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics.
It is worth noting that the Baltic States have fully integrated with the continental European energy system and the Nordic grid, through Finland, Sweden, and Poland. The operation to transition to the European system cost around 1.6 billion euros, funded by the European Union.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
