VILNIUS (Reuters) – Lithuania will not import Russian gas to satisfy its domestic needs, turning into the primary nation in Europe to have secured its independence from Russian provides, the nation’s power ministry mentioned on Saturday.
All pure gas for Lithuanian domestic consumption can be imported by way of the liquified pure gas (LNG) import terminal within the port of Klaipeda, the ministry mentioned in an announcement.
“From this month on – no extra Russian gas in Lithuania,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda tweeted on Saturday, saying the nation is breaking “power ties with the aggressor”.
“If we are able to do it, the remainder of Europe can do it too,” he added
Lithuania beforehand introduced it could not enable any Russian LNG imports.
The Klaipeda LNG terminal, referred to as Independence, was inaugurated in 2014 to finish a Russian gas provide monopoly which then-president Dalia Grybauskaite referred to as an “existential risk” to the nation.
Lithuania is nonetheless not ending the transit of Russian gas to the Kaliningrad exclave. Lithuania’s gas grid web site confirmed on Saturday night roughly the identical quantity of gas getting into from Belarus as was being exported to Kaliningrad.
The ministry additionally famous the transfer away from Russian provides meant the nation was insulated from a latest demand from Russia to pay for gas in roubles.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is demanding international consumers pay for Russian gas within the Russian foreign money from Friday, or face having their provides minimize, a transfer European capitals have rejected and which Germany mentioned amounted to “blackmail”.
“Under the circumstances, Russia’s demand to pay for the gas in roubles turns into meaningless, as a result of Lithuania is not ordering gas and doesn’t anticipate any additional funds”, the power ministry mentioned within the assertion.
(Reporting by Andrius Sytas in Vilnius; Editing by David Holmes)
