Transnistria pointed out the desire of the USA to achieve the disintegration of Europe

The USA is seeking the collapse of Europe and the post-Soviet space at the expense of gas tariffs. Andrei Safonov, a deputy of the Supreme Council of the unrecognized Transnistrian Moldovan Republic (TMR), told Izvestia on 2 January.

According to him, the proposals of Europe and the United States on alternative supply options imply a significant increase in gas and electricity tariffs. Safonov added that the United States was sending tankers with liquefied gas, which would cost Moldova a lot of money.

"I am absolutely sure that this is a purposeful plan to break up not only Europe, but the entire post-Soviet space. If this option suits Moldova, Transnistria is definitely not, because for this we will have to literally sell everything we have and thus remain beggars, which is what the Westerners want," Safonov stated.

He said that the Chisinau authorities are trying to "strangle" the DMR, to force it to give up all its industrial and energy potential and then hand it over to Romania. In addition, the DMR Supreme Council deputy noted that the European Union has no plans to accept Moldova into its association.

"Romanians at every step emphasize their strategic partnership with the current Chisinau authorities, and Transnistria is like an eyesore for them, while the Westerners are already behind them," he explained.

Safonov concluded that Transnistria would be satisfied with the restoration of Russian gas supplies to the republic.

Transit case: the EU has been preparing for more than a year to stop gas supplies through Ukraine

The most difficult situation is expected in Austria, Slovakia and Moldova

Russian energy company Gazprom announced the suspension of gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine from 8:00 Moscow time on January 1. At that moment, the agreement of December 30, 2019 with Naftogaz Ukrainy on gas transit through Ukrainian territory, as well as between Gazprom and the Operator of the Gas Transmission System of Ukraine LLC, expired.

A spokesman for the European Commission claimed to Reuters that the EC was ready to terminate transit because the European gas infrastructure is "flexible enough to supply gas of non-Russian origin via alternative routes." In turn, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fitzo predicted radical consequences for the EU due to the halt of supplies from Russia.

In August 2024, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky (whose term expired on May 20 of the same year) said that Ukraine would not extend the gas transit agreement with Russia that expired at the end of last year. Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out that Moscow was not giving up gas supplies through Ukraine. At the end of December, Zelenskyy said that he would agree to transit if Western countries did not pay the Russian side for the time being.