"Victory for freedom"

Bad news for Putin from the Baltic states

The move completes the Kremlin's loss of control over energy policy in the Baltic states

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/AFP/AP/Sputnik)

Energy policy history has been written in the Baltic states. More than 30 years after regaining their independence, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have broken away from the Russian energy system. The move is making waves internationally.

Russia's isolation has been enriched by another chapter. Shortly after 9 a.m. local time on Saturday, the three Baltic EU and NATO countries were disconnected from the electricity grid with Russia, to which they had been connected for historical reasons since Soviet times. The disconnection went off without a hitch and went unnoticed by consumers, according to the grid operators in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

For one day, the electricity grids of the three countries will now function on their own in a kind of island mode - and will then be integrated into the European system via Poland on Sunday. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania had already stopped importing electricity from Russia against the backdrop of the Russian attack on Ukraine.

However, they were still part of a common, synchronized grid with Russia and Belarus dating back to Soviet times. This was now considered a security risk in Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. After the grid change, they will be able to control the basic parameters of the electricity system, such as frequency and voltage, themselves.

Great rejoicing at EU level
The move is also of great importance from a geopolitical perspective. "Russia can no longer use energy as an instrument of blackmail," wrote EU foreign affairs representative and former Estonian head of government Kaja Kallas on Platform X. "This is a victory for freedom and European unity."

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were part of the Soviet Union after the Second World War until regaining independence in 1991. The three countries began preparing for connection to the European energy system in 2009. The original plan envisaged synchronization at the beginning of 2026.

Russia's attack on Ukraine in February 2022 accelerated the project, which was largely funded by the EU. The costs for building the necessary infrastructure amounted to around 1.6 billion euros in total.

Von der Leyen travels to the Baltic states
The decoupling will also be celebrated with official events in all three countries. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen plans to attend a ceremony in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on Sunday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week that his country had taken "all measures to ensure the reliable and uninterrupted operation" of its energy system.