The Lithuanian president believes that his country is more resistant to Russian energy blackmail than many Western European countries.
Latvia has paid dearly for its energy dependence on Russia. President Gitanas Nauseda recalled how his country had suffered from Moscow 's gas blackmail. Therefore, 10 years ago, Vilnius began to take measures to strengthen its energy independence.
He said this during a conference at the Atlantic Council, answering a question about what his country is doing to get rid of the Kremlin's energy pressure.
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“We have built LNG terminals. Now we are more resistant to Russian blackmail, because we can import liquefied gas from other countries, including the United States, “Nauseda explained.
He acknowledged that the purchase of Russian oil for refineries remains a problem. However, Lithuanian companies are already thinking about alternative sources of these raw materials. Also, the Lithuanian power grid has been connected to the Russian and Belarusian ones since Soviet times.
“We are now trying to synchronize our network with the EU network. It will take some time. But summing up, I will say that Lithuania is now more resistant to Russian blackmail than any other country in Western Europe, “Nauseda said.
Latvian President Egils Levits said that his country still imports Russian gas. However, thanks to the same LNG terminals, Riga can buy it from other suppliers.
“Of course, the price will be higher. But this is the price of energy independence, on which political independence also depends, ”he explained.
In turn, the President of Estonia Alar Karis said that the situation in his country is similar to that of other Baltic neighbors. The only difference is that there is an oil shelf in Estonia. And the extraction from it is used for electricity generation.
“We are also discussing the construction of nuclear power plants. But this is a prospect of at least 20 years, “he explained.
