Lithuania will be prepared if Moscow carries out its threats to disconnect the Baltic countries from the common electricity system with Belarus and Russia (BRELL), President Gitanas Nausėda has said.
A member of the Russian State Duma on Wednesday hinted at such a possibility as a retaliatory measure in response to Lithuania restricting the transit of some goods sanctioned by the EU to Kaliningrad.
“We are ready and we are prepared for unfriendly actions from Russia, such as disconnection from the BRELL system or others,” Nausėda told the Reuters news agency in an interview on Wednesday.
Moscow on Monday demanded that Lithuania lift the ban on the rail transit of some goods between mainland Russia and Kaliningrad, saying that the restrictions violate international agreements.
Vilnius says it has not imposed any unilateral restrictions and is simply adhering to the EU-wide sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
Read more: Lithuania to seek EU's backing amid Russia's threats over transit sanctions
BRELL is an agreement between the five countries’ electricity grid operators on technical conditions and rules for managing the systems to ensure the required power quality parameters and maintain a stable and reliable electricity supply.
The Baltic countries are planning to synchronise their grids with the continental European system and disconnect from the BRELL system by late 2025.
Energy ministers from all three Baltic countries called on the EU to speed up the process after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February.
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