The Baltic states stopped importing electricity from Russia because of the war in Ukraine. “This is an important step on our path to energy independence,” Lithuanian Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys told AFP. “By refusing to import Russian energy resources, we are refusing to finance the aggressor,” the minister said.
On Friday, energy exchange Nord Pool sent a message to Russian energy supplier InterRao that it has been barred from trading in the Baltic States due to international sanctions.
Latvia imported its last Russian electricity in early May, while Lithuania and Estonia stopped buying electricity yesterday. Russian electricity accounted for 17% of Lithuania’s electricity imports last year.
Years of preparatory work
The Baltic States had been working for years to gain energy independence from Moscow. To do this, they expanded domestic power generation on the one hand and strengthened connections with Scandinavia on the other.