The Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are officially cutting electricity ties with Russia and Belarus, a move signifying geopolitical independence after decades of reliance. Prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the disconnection will be celebrated with a ceremony featuring EU dignitaries, including Ursula von der Leyen. This action marks the culmination of years of infrastructural change, transitioning from Soviet-era connections to a modern grid linked with European systems, reinforcing energy sovereignty for these NATO members amidst ongoing tensions with Moscow.
This is physical disconnection from the last remaining element of our reliance on the Russian and Belarusian energy system," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda told The Associated Press in a recent interview.
The Baltic countries, which are all NATO members, have often had chilly ties with Russia since declaring independence from the USSR in 1990.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen and other dignitaries are expected at the ceremony as a specially-made 9-meter (29.5-foot) tall clock in downtown Vilnius counts down the final seconds of the Baltic states' electricity ties to Russia.
Sixteen power lines that used to connect the three Baltic states with Russia and Belarus were dismantled over the years as a new grid linking them with the rest of the EU was created.
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