BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) 鈥� Russian energy giant Gazprom announced Monday that it will not further after claiming that bills went unpaid and that flows crossing through Ukraine were not making it to Moldova.
Gazprom tweeted that Moldovagaz has 鈥渆liminated the violation of payment鈥� for November supplies and that 鈥渇unds for the gas deposited on the territory of Ukraine, intended for consumers in Moldova, have been received.鈥�
Last week, Moldova and Ukraine hit back at Gazprom鈥檚 claim that Russian gas moving through the last pipeline to Western Europe was being stored in Ukraine, saying all supplies that Russia sends through the war-torn country get 鈥渇ully transferred鈥� to Moldova.
鈥淭he volumes of gas that Gazprom refers to as remaining in Ukraine are our savings and reserves stored in warehouses in Ukraine,鈥� Moldovan Infrastructure Minister Andrei Spinu said last week. 鈥淭hese volumes were and will be fully paid for by our country.鈥�
The Russia state-owned company alleged 鈥渞egular violation by the Moldovan side of contractual obligations in terms of payment for Russian gas supplies,鈥� adding that it 鈥渞eserves the right to reduce or completely stop gas supplies in case of violation of their payment.鈥�
It comes as Europe鈥檚 poorest country 鈥� which had relied entirely on Russia for natural gas 鈥� is facing an after Moscow dramatically reduced supplies in October and halved them in November as cold weather took hold. Moscow鈥檚 attacks on Ukraine鈥檚 energy infrastructure also have triggered massive blackouts in several cities in Moldova.
amid the war in Ukraine, which European leaders have called energy blackmail. Gazprom's threats to further reduce flows raised , when natural gas is needed to heat homes as well as generate electricity and power factories, with .
With inflation high all around, there were fears consumers in Moldova, a former Soviet republic of about 2.6 million, would struggle to pay their heating and electricity costs.
The (nearly $262 million) in aid to Moldova this month to help it weather the crisis. Last week, an raised more than 100 million euros to support the country through the energy crisis.
___
Cristian Jardan contributed from Chisinau, Moldova.
Stephen Mcgrath, The Associated Press
