Latest news with #ŽygimantasVaičiūnas
Arab Times
10-02-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
3 Baltic states disconnect from Soviet-era grid to merge with European energy system
VILNIUS, Lithuania, Feb 10, (AP): The flow of electricity between the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and Russia was officially severed Saturday morning after officials switched off the Soviet-era grid's transmission lines and prepared to join the rest of Europe on Sunday. This came more than three decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, ending the Baltics' final ties to oil- and gas-rich Russia. For the three countries, as well as the rest of Europe, the move was steeped in geopolitical and symbolic significance. "The Baltic energy system is finally in our hands, we are in full control,' Lithuania Energy minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas told reporters. On Saturday, all remaining transmission lines between them and Russia, Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, wedged between EU members Poland and Lithuania and the sea, were switched off one by one. Lithuania first - where a specially-made 9-meter (about 29-foot) tall clock in downtown Vilnius counted down the final seconds - then Latvia a few minutes later, followed by Estonia. For 24 hours after detaching from the Soviet-era grid, the Baltic Power System will operate independently. If all goes as planned, the power system will merge with the European energy networks on Sunday afternoon through several links with Finland, Sweden and Poland. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, as well as the presidents of Poland and the Baltic states, are expected for a ceremony in Vilnius on Sunday evening along with other dignitaries. The Baltic countries, which are all NATO members, have often had chilly ties with Russia since declaring independence from the USSR in 1990 - and relations soured further over Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Sixteen power lines that used to connect the Baltic states with Russia and Belarus were dismantled over in recent years as a new grid linking them with the rest of the EU was created, including underwater cables in the Baltic Sea. "This is physical disconnection from the last remaining element of our reliance on the Russian and Belarusian energy system,' Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda told The Associated Press in a recent interview.
The Guardian
08-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Baltic states leave Russian power grid in closer EU integration
The three Baltic states have disconnected their electricity systems from Russia's power grid as part of a plan designed to integrate the countries more closely with the EU and boost security. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania disconnected from the IPS/UPS joint network on Saturday. Subject to last-minute tests, they will synchronise with the EU's grid at 12.00 GMT on Sunday after operating on their own in the interim. The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, will speak at a ceremony on Sunday to mark the switch to the EU system. 'We've reached the goal we strived for, for so long. We are now in control,' the Lithuanian energy minister, Žygimantas Vaičiūnas, told a press conference. Immediately after disconnecting, Latvian workers used a crane to reach the high-voltage wires in Vilaka, close to the Russian border, and cut them. They handed out chopped wire as keepsakes to cheering onlookers. 'We will never use it again. We are moving on,' Latvia's energy minister, Kaspars Melnis, said. Plans for the Baltics to decouple from the grid of their former Soviet imperial overlord, which have been debated for decades, gained momentum after Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014. The grid was the only remaining link to Russia for the three countries, which re-emerged as independent nations in the early 1990s after the fall of the Soviet Union, and joined the EU and Nato in 2004. The three staunch supporters of Kyiv stopped buying power from Russia after Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but have relied on the Russian grid to control frequencies and stabilise networks to avoid outages. 'By ending the energy dependence of the Baltic states on Russia, we are leaving the aggressor without the option of using energy as a weapon against us,' the Estonia's foreign minister, Margus Tsahkna, said. An army truck was seen at the Rezekne power substation near the Latvia-Russia border, and officers with guns were patrolling the vicinity and in the nearby town, indicative of Baltic worries of attempted sabotage to the switch. The Baltic Sea region is on high alert after power cable, telecom links and gas pipeline outages to Sweden or Finland. All were believed to have been caused by ships dragging anchors along the seabed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia has denied any involvement. 'The system is stable, the process is happening smoothly, no one is noticing that something changed,' Melnis said. Maintaining a constant power supply requires a stable grid frequency, which can more easily be obtained over time in a large synchronised area such as Russia or continental Europe, compared with what the Baltics can do on their own, analysts say. Lithuania's energy ministry said it has drawn up contingency plans whereby some heavy energy users, such as factories, could be temporarily disconnected from the grid in the event of power shortages to maintain essential supplies. For Russia, the decoupling means its Kaliningrad exclave, located between Lithuania, Poland and the Baltic Sea, is cut off from Russia's main grid, leaving it to maintain its power system alone. The Baltic countries have spent nearly €1.6bn since 2018 to upgrade grids to prepare for the switch, while Russia has spent 100bn roubles ($1bn), including on the building of several gas-fired power plants in Kaliningrad.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
3 Baltic states disconnect from the Soviet-era grid to merge with the European energy system
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — The flow of electricity between the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and Russia was officially severed Saturday morning after officials switched off the Soviet-era grid's transmission lines and prepared to join the rest of Europe on Sunday. This came more than three decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, ending the Baltics' final ties to oil- and gas-rich Russia. For the three countries, as well as the rest of Europe, the move was steeped in geopolitical and symbolic significance. 'The Baltic energy system is finally in our hands, we are in full control,' Lithuania Energy minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas told reporters. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. On Saturday, all remaining transmission lines between them and Russia, Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, wedged between EU members Poland and Lithuania and the sea, were switched off one by one. Lithuania first — where a specially-made 9-meter (about 29-foot) tall clock in downtown Vilnius counted down the final seconds — then Latvia a few minutes later, followed by Estonia. For 24 hours after detaching from the Soviet-era grid, the Baltic Power System will operate independently. If all goes as planned, the power system will merge with the European energy networks on Sunday afternoon through several links with Finland, Sweden and Poland. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, as well as the presidents of Poland and the Baltic states, are expected for a ceremony in Vilnius on Sunday evening along with other dignitaries. The Baltic countries, which are all NATO members, have often had chilly ties with Russia since declaring independence from the USSR in 1990 — and relations soured further over Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Sixteen power lines that used to connect the Baltic states with Russia and Belarus were dismantled over in recent years as a new grid linking them with the rest of the EU was created, including underwater cables in the Baltic Sea. 'This is physical disconnection from the last remaining element of our reliance on the Russian and Belarusian energy system,' Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda told The Associated Press in a recent interview. The three Baltic countries, which together have a 1,633-kilometer-long (1,015-mile) border with Russia and Belarus, informed Moscow and Minsk of the disconnection plan in 2024 to head off any hostile reaction. 'We have a protocol with the Russians on how everything should be disconnected,' Rokas Masiulis, CEO of Litgrid, told reporters on Saturday. Leaders of all three countries assured their nations that the shift would go smoothly but special measures were taken to prevent possible provocations. In Latvia, the National Armed Forces and the National Guard were instructed to carry on their duties in a reinforced mode. No incidents were reported early Saturday. The Kaliningrad region, which has no land ties to mainland Russia, already relies on its own power generation, according to Litgrid.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
3 Baltic states disconnect from the Soviet-era grid to merge with the European energy system
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — The flow of electricity between the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and Russia was officially severed Saturday morning after officials switched off the Soviet-era grid's transmission lines and prepared to join the rest of Europe on Sunday. This came more than three decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, ending the Baltics' final ties to oil- and gas-rich Russia. For the three countries, as well as the rest of Europe, the move was steeped in geopolitical and symbolic significance. 'The Baltic energy system is finally in our hands, we are in full control,' Lithuania Energy minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas told reporters. On Saturday, all remaining transmission lines between them and Russia, Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, wedged between EU members Poland and Lithuania and the sea, were switched off one by one. Lithuania first — where a specially-made 9-meter (about 29-foot) tall clock in downtown Vilnius counted down the final seconds — then Latvia a few minutes later, followed by Estonia. For 24 hours after detaching from the Soviet-era grid, the Baltic Power System will operate independently. If all goes as planned, the power system will merge with the European energy networks on Sunday afternoon through several links with Finland, Sweden and Poland. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, as well as the presidents of Poland and the Baltic states, are expected for a ceremony in Vilnius on Sunday evening along with other dignitaries. The Baltic countries, which are all NATO members, have often had chilly ties with Russia since declaring independence from the USSR in 1990 — and relations soured further over Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Sixteen power lines that used to connect the Baltic states with Russia and Belarus were dismantled over in recent years as a new grid linking them with the rest of the EU was created, including underwater cables in the Baltic Sea. 'This is physical disconnection from the last remaining element of our reliance on the Russian and Belarusian energy system,' Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda told The Associated Press in a recent interview. The three Baltic countries, which together have a 1,633-kilometer-long (1,015-mile) border with Russia and Belarus, informed Moscow and Minsk of the disconnection plan in 2024 to head off any hostile reaction. 'We have a protocol with the Russians on how everything should be disconnected,' Rokas Masiulis, CEO of Litgrid, told reporters on Saturday. Leaders of all three countries assured their nations that the shift would go smoothly but special measures were taken to prevent possible provocations. In Latvia, the National Armed Forces and the National Guard were instructed to carry on their duties in a reinforced mode. No incidents were reported early Saturday. The Kaliningrad region, which has no land ties to mainland Russia, already relies on its own power generation, according to Litgrid. Liudas Dapkus, The Associated Press
Washington Post
08-02-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
3 Baltic states disconnect from the Soviet-era grid to merge with the European energy system
VILNIUS, Lithuania — The flow of electricity between the Baltic countries of Estonia , Latvia and Lithuania and Russia was officially severed Saturday morning after officials switched off the Soviet-era grid's transmission lines and prepared to join the rest of Europe on Sunday. This came more than three decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, ending the Baltics' final ties to oil- and gas-rich Russia. For the three countries, as well as the rest of Europe, the move was steeped in geopolitical and symbolic significance. 'The Baltic energy system is finally in our hands, we are in full control,' Lithuania Energy minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas told reporters. On Saturday, all remaining transmission lines between them and Russia, Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad , wedged between EU members Poland and Lithuania and the sea, were switched off one by one. Lithuania first, then Latvia a few minutes later, then Estonia. For 24 hours after detaching from the Soviet-era grid, the Baltic Power System will operate independently. If all goes as planned, the power system will merge with the European energy networks on Sunday afternoon through several links with Finland, Sweden and Poland. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, as well as the presidents of Poland and the Baltic states, are expected for a ceremony in Lithuania on Sunday evening along with other dignitaries. The Baltic countries, which are all NATO members , have often had chilly ties with Russia since declaring independence from the USSR in 1990 — and relations soured further over Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Sixteen power lines that used to connect the Baltic states with Russia and Belarus were dismantled over in recent years as a new grid linking them with the rest of the EU was created, including underwater cables in the Baltic Sea. 'This is physical disconnection from the last remaining element of our reliance on the Russian and Belarusian energy system,' Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda told The Associated Press in a recent interview. The three Baltic countries, which together have a 1,633-kilometer-long (1,015-mile) border with Russia and Belarus, informed Moscow and Minsk of the disconnection plan in 2024 to head off any hostile reaction. 'We have a protocol with the Russians on how everything should be disconnected,' Rokas Masiulis, CEO of Litgrid, told reporters on Saturday. Leaders of all three countries assured their nations that the shift would go smoothly but special measures were taken to prevent possible provocations. In Latvia, the National Armed Forces and the National Guard were instructed to carry on their duties in a reinforced mode. No incidents were reported early Saturday. The Kaliningrad region, which has no land ties to mainland Russia, already relies on its own power generation, according to Litgrid.
