Zelenskyy said last year he had no intention of renewing the gas transit deal, stressing the importance for Europe of moving on from Russia and not allowing the Kremlin to ‘earn additional billions’ on Ukrainian blood.

Russia summoned Moldova's ambassador to protest accusations against its ambassador in Chisinau by a Moldovan political party. The party has called for Russia's ambassador to be expelled. Moldova's President alleges Russia is engineering an energy crisis to influence political outcomes,

The European Union renewed on Monday its wide-ranging sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine, after Hungary stopped holding up the move in return for a declaration on energy security.

The European Union has agreed to give Moldova €30 million ($31 million) to help fund emergency gas deliveries to the country’s pro-Russian breakaway region of Transnistria from 1 February.

Russia has summoned Moldova's ambassador over accusations made by a Moldovan political party against the Russian ambassador in Chisinau, amid an energy crisis affecting Transdniestria. Moldova alleges Russian interference,

Chisinau should come to an agreement with Moscow and gradually resolve the issue with Transnistria. This opinion was expressed by the head of state Alexander Lukashenko at a press conference on the main day of the presidential election in Belarus.

Moldova's breakaway Transdniestria region expects to receive Russian gas again soon to meet its needs, its leader Vadim Krasnoselsky said on Wednesday, two weeks into crippling power cuts in the Russian-backed enclave.

The European Union will provide 30 million euros ($31.5 million) to purchase and transport natural gas to Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniestria, Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said on Monday.

Moldova's prime minister told AFP on Wednesday the international community is ready to offer gas to end the energy crisis in Transnistria but a lasting solution hinges on Russia withdrawing its troops from the separatist region.

A Kremlin task force focused on preventing external interference said on Wednesday that the West is preparing to meddle in Russia’s 2026 parliamentary election, according to a report

Russia has long used its plentiful energy resources as a tool to exert control over the region, where independence from Russian energy is tied to political sovereignty.

It is also worth noting that the alignment of Moldova's and Transdniester's fiscal and customs policies has meant that 70 percent of the breakaway region's foreign trade is with countries of the EU -- and that could only increase if Moldova moves closer to the bloc.