Russia's Gazprom to Restrict Gas Supplies to Moldova to Zero Starting Jan 1

"Gazprom sent a notification to Moldovagaz on Saturday in connection with the refusal of the Moldovan side to settle the debt for gas supplies. It says that Moldovagaz regularly fails to fulfill its payment obligations under the current contract, which is a significant violation of its terms... In this regard, based on the provisions of the contract and the applicable norms of Russian legislation, Gazprom introduces a restriction on natural gas supplies to the Republic of Moldova to zero cubic meters per day starting from 8:00 Moscow time [5:00 GMT] on January 1, 2025," Gazprom said on Telegram.

Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said, commenting on Gazprom's statement, that Chisinau would seek international arbitration if gas supplies stopped.

"The [Moldovan] government condemns these repressive tactics and reiterates that it does not recognize any alleged debts that have been refuted by an international audit ... The government will study in detail all possible legal remedies, including applying for international arbitration, to protect our national interests and demand compensation for the decisions of the Kremlin that cause economic damage and threaten the security and well-being of the citizens of Moldova," Recean was quoted as saying by the cabinet.

He added that Moldova had diversified its natural gas deliveries precisely to reduce the dependence on the sole supplier.

"Our country is ready to handle any situation caused by the decision of the Kermlin. We will continue to ensure gas supplies from alternative sources and protect vulnerable groups of consumers," Recean said.

In September 2023, Moldovan Energy Minister Victor Parlicov said that Gazprom's Moldovagaz subsidiary owed the Russian gas giant $8.6 million as of the end of March 2023, a fraction of the $709 million demanded by Gazprom. The minister said the rest of the debt had either expired or could not be confirmed by documents. Gazprom called Moldova's audit one-sided and vowed to take the Moldovan gas supplier to court.