Lithuania claims victory in ditching Russian energy

Baltic country says it no longer imports fossil fuels or electricity from Russia

Lithuania says its gas facilities have stopped receiving imports from Russia. AP

Lithuania says it has become the first member of the European Union to call a complete halt to imports of Russian energy, a milestone in the bloc’s struggle to free itself from reliance on the Kremlin.

The Baltic country, whose own officials have described the region as a longstanding “energy island” heavily reliant on Moscow, said its last electricity contract with Russia had been cut off on Sunday.

Russian imports once accounted for almost all Lithuania’s fossil fuels, but a pipeline from Poland that opened this month has opened up an alternative route and allowed Lithuania to stop sending cash to Moscow.

Lithuania also receives liquid gas from the US – an option not available to landlocked countries such as Hungary and Slovakia, and which requires special terminals that not all EU members have.

Lithuania’s Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys said: “We must stop financing the Russian war machine.”

Ukraine, which is demanding an EU-wide embargo on Russian oil and gas to undermine the invasion of its territory, praised Lithuania for what it called a show of solidarity and urged other nations to follow suit.

Energy Minister German Galushchenko said Ukraine was ready to supply electricity from its own reserves after it began synchronising its power grid with that of its western neighbours in March.

“The idea of the irreplaceability of Russia’s energy resources is a myth,” said Mr Galushchenko. “The lives of our people are the trades that cost Ukraine incredible losses every day.”

Britain meanwhile praised Lithuania for “helping to cripple Putin’s war machine”, as the two countries announced they would deepen their defence and security co-operation.

EU countries agreed in principle in March to end reliance on Russian fossil fuels as soon as possible, heeding calls to remove a geopolitical weapon from the Kremlin’s hands. All 27 members signed up to a coal embargo last month.

But an oil ban proposed almost three weeks ago has yet to win approval. Hungary has said it cannot support the measure, while other countries are trying to negotiate a grace period to switch over their supplies.