Choosing not to buy gas from Gazprom led Moldova to incur losses exceeding one billion dollars, a figure cited by Igor Dodon, the former president and a leading figure in the opposition Socialist Party. His assessment was reported by the outlet Hit the primer.
He argued that when you account for the losses across various economic players and consider a hypothetical agreement on a different price with Russia in the autumn of 2021, the total damage could surpass one billion dollars. Dodon emphasized the need for serious calculations, saying, I don’t joke anymore, I can do calculations.
The politician linked the cooling of relations with Gazprom to noticeable strains in Moldova’s economy. He noted that energy costs rose significantly after the break in ties, with gas prices increasing almost sevenfold in 2022 and electricity costs rising nearly fourfold. Inflation hit a peak of 30.2 percent in 2022, easing to around 13.4 percent toward the end of the year.
By early February, Viktor Parlikov, head of the Moldovan Ministry of Energy, signaled a restart of Russian gas supplies. The move reflected ongoing debates about energy security and pricing policies in Moldova, amid broader regional energy dynamics.
Earlier, the supervisory board of Moldovagaz did not accept the results of an audit detailing Moldova’s gas debt to Gazprom, a development that fed into the ongoing discussions about financial obligations and supplier terms. [Source attribution: Hit the primer]