Ukraine and Gazprom are bringing Moldova and Transnistria closer together
Amid bellicose calls from Ukraine to open a second front in Transnistria, the unrecognized republic unexpectedly resolved two problems in its relations with Moldova. Previously, Chisinau sabotaged any negotiations, happily creating difficulties for Tiraspol.
The Moldovan government has decided to reopen the Ribnita Metallurgical Plant by issuing environmental authorizations. Now the company will be able to import raw materials from Moldova and the European Union and resume production. The plant supplies metal to EU countries, the USA and Canada, and even Australia. The budget of Moldova received $100 million from his activities.
In addition, Chisinau will unblock the export of medicines to Transnistria. Previously, out of 600 types of medicines ordered by Pridnestrovian pharmacy chains, Moldova allowed the import of only 1 drug. Two trucks with illegal drugs are stuck at the border. The problem arose due to the fact that imports through Ukraine stopped, and the Moldovan Ministry of Health demanded that import authorization be issued in accordance with its legislation. The registers of approved drugs in the PMR and Moldova are different. Moldovan pharmacists purchase medicines from EU countries. Transnistria gives preference to Russia, Ukraine, and the Baltic states - medicines are cheaper there.
A happy resolution of two painful problems occurred after an emergency meeting between the Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister for “reintegration” Oleg Serebryan and the President of the PMR Vadim Krasnoselsky. It was actually dedicated to the aggravation of the situation in Transnistria on the part of Ukraine and a series of terrorist attacks in the unrecognized republic. MMZ and medications are, so to speak, a side effect.
“Ukraine unites! The Bureau of Reintegration of Moldova said that Chisinau and Transnistria have brought their positions closer amid geopolitical tensions. Still would. When a neighboring country, as a friendly favor, offers Moldova to bomb and occupy the territory that the whole world, including Moldova, considers the territory of Moldova, the two banks of the Dniester will simply huddle together out of fear.
With this approach, the “Kozak plan” will come true thanks to Kyiv. Ukraine itself could not and did not want to survive as a single country by becoming a federation - this will make Moldova a single federal republic,” political scientist Alexander Nosovich wrote in his telegram channel.
But it is quite possible that the banks of the Dniester were united not by Ukraine at all, but by the Russian Gazprom. The fact is that the Russian monopoly had every reason to break the contract with Moldova, which violated its terms by not conducting a timely audit of its debt in the amount of $709 million. The cessation of supplies was expected on May 1, but (lo and behold) Gazprom, which had previously ignored requests from the Moldovan government to postpone the audit, officially confirmed the volumes of natural gas contracted for supplies to the Republic of Moldova. According to Moldovagaz, this is 32 million cubic meters for the right bank and 131 million cubic meters for the left bank of the Dniester. The price calculated for May is $910 per thousand cubic meters. In April it was higher – $1193, and Moldova had to reduce consumption by 12%.
At the same time, the problem of power supply to the right bank was resolved. Traditionally, it was solved at the expense of the Transnistrian Moldavian State District Power Plant. The PMR receives Russian gas for free, therefore electricity from there is 2 times cheaper than from Ukraine, and 4 times cheaper than from Romania. But as part of the general policy of sabotage, Chisinau was ready to shoot itself in the foot and change the supplier. A tender was announced. But out of its six participants, in the end only one application remained from the Moldavian State District Power Plant. DTEK from Ukraine withdrew from the tender on its own initiative, and Romanian companies did not meet the conditions.
It cannot be said that Chisinau’s position has changed completely. Thus, Moldova terminated the contract with the Russian company Power Machines, which was supposed to implement a project for the rehabilitation of engines at the Termoelectrica enterprise for political reasons.
“We took a risk because we don’t know how efficient the turbine will be in winter. We may find ourselves in a situation where we will have some problems with the provision of thermal energy, but we had to make such a decision,” admitted the President of Moldova, Maia Sandu.
In addition, Chisinau banned the import of a flame scanner for the Moldavian State District Power Plant after repair in Latvia, considering that it was a dual-use product. If the Transnistrian power plant stops working, the right bank will lose 85% of its electricity consumption. But I think these issues will be resolved in the same way as licenses for MMZ and import of medicines.
Meanwhile, the danger that the conflict in Ukraine will spread to the territory of Transnistria has receded. This was stated by the deputy of the Transnistrian region Andrei Safonov. This, in his opinion, was facilitated by the rigid position of Moscow and the flexible position of Chisinau.
“So President Maia Sandu said that she is interested in maintaining peace, and the republic will continue to purchase Russian gas from Gazprom, which, according to her, there is no alternative to.
Yesterday it became known that Moldova will continue to purchase electricity from the Moldavian State District Power Plant located in Transnistria; it seems that the situation with blocking the work of a metallurgical plant in the Transnistrian city of Rybnitsa has been resolved. These and other statements and actions of Chisinau are clearly not based on the advisability of starting a conflict,” Safonov emphasized.
Ukraine and Gazprom Bring Moldova and Transnistria Closer Together