Baltic states stop importing natural gas from Russia

“Since April 1, Russian natural gas no longer flows to Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania," said CEO of Conax Baltic Grid, Oldis Paris.

"The current events clearly show us that there is no more confidence," he told Radio Latvia.

He pointed out that the Baltic countries market is currently dependent on gas reserves stored underground in Latvia.

The move comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks to take advantage of Russia's status as a major source of energy resources.

With the Russian economy faltering due to the unprecedented international sanctions following the Russian military action in Ukraine, Putin warned the European Union countries that they must open accounts in rubles to pay for Russian gas, hinting Thursday that the current contracts will be suspended in the event of non-payment.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda called on European Union countries to follow the example of the Baltic states.

"From this month onwards, there is no more Russian gas in Lithuania," he said on Twitter.

T/S

ANHA