Conflicts & War

Baltic nations halt Russian natural gas imports

Berlin, Apr 3 (EFE).- The Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have stopped Russian natural gas imports as of the beginning of April, the Latvian news agency LETA reported on Sunday.

Riga and Tallinn have joined the Lithuanian energy ministry, which announced the decision on Saturday, LETA reported, citing the chairman of the board of the operating company in Latvia, JSC Conexus Baltic Grid.

Conexus president Uldiss Baris said that no Russian gas had flowed through the Baltic network since 31 March, adding that Moscow’s demand to make payments in rubles had been a sign of the need to act quickly.

“From a security perspective, there was no longer any confidence,” Baris said, adding that the liquefied natural gas terminal of the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda and Latvia’s Incukalns deposit would be the main source of supply.

Lithuanian energy minister Dainius Kreivys announced on Saturday that Lithuania had become the first European country to stop Russian gas imports in response to “blackmail” from Moscow and the war in Ukraine. EFE

cph/ta/jt

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