Baltic Countries to Break Energy Ties with Russia
This weekend, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia will stop using energy from Russia. They will instead connect their power grids to the Western European network.
Latvia plans to physically cut a power line to Russia on February 8. The next day, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will attend a ceremony with Baltic leaders in Vilnius.
The move ends Russia’s ability to use energy as a tool for political control over the Baltic countries. They have been preparing for this change for years and have already stopped importing Russian gas and electricity since 2022.
The three countries will test their power grids by running in “isolated mode” on February 8 from 7 am local time. This means they will operate independently for 24 hours to see if they can manage their own power levels. Then, they will connect with Europe’s grid through Poland.
Lithuania’s state-run grid operator is worried about potential risks like cyberattacks and sabotage. To stay safe, Poland’s power grid operator will use helicopters and drones to monitor the connection.
There are also concerns about security due to damaged undersea cables in the Baltic Sea. Russia has denied any involvement in these incidents.
Despite these worries, officials say there won’t be major power disruptions. However, Estonian retailers have reported a rise in generator sales as people prepare for potential outages. The Baltic countries are also increasing their domestic energy production, including offshore wind farms.
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