Baltic states disconnect from Russia and join the EU electric network

The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are now disconnected from the Russian Electric Red and have joined the European Union network.

The plans for the move, which have been in process since 2007, were seen as essential for European security and had been presented after the large -scale invasion of Russia of Ukraine in 2022.

“Today is the story,” said EU Chief Ursula von der Ley a ceremony in the capital of Lithuania. “This is freedom, freedom of threats, freedom of blackmail.”

The Polish president Andrzej doubts, praised him as a “truly symbolic moment” that would make the region “safer and more resistant.”

“It is the final step towards the emancipation of the postsovietic dependency sphere,” he added.

Brell’s so -called power grid, which represents Belarus, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, is almost completely controlled by Moscow and for a long time has been seen as a vulnerability for the three Baltic states.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are now NATO members and have not bought electricity from Russia since 2022, but their connection with the Brell grid left them depending on Moscow to obtain vital energy.

In her speech, Mrs. von der Leyen warned that NATO must continue to monitor possible Russian reprisals.

Pointing out a recent series of alleged sabotage incidents that involve electricity cables and pipes in the Baltic Sea, said “there is a pattern and we cannot ignore it.”

In the last 18 months, at least 11 cables that are executed under the Baltic Sea have been damaged. In a recent case, A “shadow fleet” ship of Russia de Petroleros was accused of damaging Estonia’s main power bond in the Gulf of Finlandia. The Kremlin declined to comment.

The Lithuanian president, gypsy Nousa, requested sanctions on the shadow fleet of Russia, saying that recent incidents were of “great concern.”

NATO has not directly accused Russia, but responded by launching a new patrol mission of the appointed region Baltic sentry.

In total, around 1.6 billion (£ 1.33 billion) were invested in the project to transfer the three nations to the EU network, with the funds largely provided by the EU.

The transition took place for two days, With three nations disconnecting from the Russian network on Saturday morningoperating as an “Energy Island” for about 24 hours, and connecting to the EU network on Sunday.

Ukrainian energy minister German Galushchenko acclaimed him as a “significant event for all of Europe.”