OREANDA-NEWS  The uncertainty with Ukrainian transit narrows the field for Gazprom's dialogue with Moldovagaz, and an energy crisis awaits Moldova in winter when gas supplies from Russia are stopped, deputy head of the National Energy Security Fund Alexei Grivach told RIA Novosti.

Gazprom and Moldovagaz, as the Kommersant newspaper wrote at the end of last week, are negotiating the continuation of Russian gas supplies through the territory of Ukraine after January 1, 2025. In particular, the possibility of supplying 294 million cubic meters of gas to Moldova in the first quarter of 2025 was discussed. It is proposed to supply another 2 billion cubic meters of gas to Transnistria during 2025, the newspaper noted.

"The complete uncertainty with Ukrainian transit significantly narrows the field to a meaningful dialogue. If transit really stops, Moldova will face an energy crisis this winter, and possibly a socio-political one," Grivach said.
It cannot be ruled out that there are some calls from the Moldovan side, but now the presidential elections are in full swing there, the second round is in a week and now it is unlikely that agreements can be reached that would be exactly fulfilled, he added.

Since December 2022, Moldovagaz has been receiving gas from two sources – from the state-owned enterprise Energocom and Gazprom. Russian gas is sent to Transnistria in exchange for electricity, and Chisinau itself uses fuel reserves purchased in advance in different countries.

The five–year agreement on the transit of Russian gas to Europe through Ukraine, concluded in 2019, expires at the end of 2024. Kiev has repeatedly stated that it does not plan to extend it.