Moldova and Russia have still not agreed on gas supplies

The gas dispute between Moldova and Russia continues. Negotiations between the two parties have not yet led to a supply agreement. Even the second day of negotiations in St. Petersburg did not lead to an agreement, the Interfax agency quoted the Russian gas concern Gazprom on Thursday evening. During her visit to Brussels, Moldovan Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilit praised European support. The European Union (EU) on Wednesday pledged € 60 million in aid to Moldova. "We think that the coming weeks will be decisive and that Moldova's friends should help us secure alternative supplies," Gavrilit told DPA. At the same time, she emphasized that it was not a choice between East and West, but that Moldova wanted to gain as much support as possible. Russia threatens to suspend gas supplies to Moldova at the end of the year if the country does not extend its existing contract by then. One of the main points of contention is the significant increase in prices. Moldova, which is more pro-Western after the change of government, is to pay $ 790 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas, which is significantly more than under the previous pro-Russian government. Moldova declared a state of emergency last week after the Russian gas group Gazprom raised prices for the commodity due to problems caused by a shortage of natural gas. Russia is criticized for using gas as a geopolitical weapon when setting its prices according to the affection of the country's government. Belarus, for example, has been able to negotiate significantly lower friendly prices for 2022. Moscow claims that the negotiations with Moldova are not about political interests, but only about trade negotiations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov pointed to the high demand for Russian gas and the accumulated debts of Moldova.