CHISINAU, January 6. /TASS/. The Moldovan authorities offered no help to Transnistria in order to resolve the ongoing energy crisis, says Vadim Krasnoselsky, President of the unrecognized republic.
"There is a lot of information right now that Moldova allegedly wants to help us and we reject this help. This is all a lie! No aid offers from Moldova or other states have been made to the president of Transnistria so far. There have been none," Krasnoselsky said in a video address, published on his administration’s website.
He pointed out that, previously, the authorities of Transnistria have repeatedly asked Moldova to reject economic pressure measures.
"We asked them not to block export and import operations for our legal entities, to open bank accounts for our entrepreneurs, not to delay our goods at the borders for a month or two, to deliver medicine here and so on. And what did we get? Did Moldova resolve anything even once? No! It was only propaganda. Moldova gives nothing to Transnistria. It is not their goal. Their goal is strangulation," Krasnoselsky noted.
The energy crisis started after Ukraine stopped the transit of Russian gas and Moldova refused to settle its debt before Gazprom, which Russia estimates at $709 million. The authorities of Moldova and the unrecognized Transnistria have both declared a state of emergency and save energy until the situation is resolved.
Moldova receives gas from other sources, so only Transnistria is experiencing a deficit of this fuel. The Cuciurgan (Moldovan) power plant, located in Transnistria, which used to cover 80% of Moldova’s power demand, has been switched to coal; the coal stockpile will last until late January or mid-February. The power plant has suspended the provision of power to Moldova, while Transnistria shut down the central heating and hot water supply to households; rolling blackouts have also started due to the energy crisis.