(ANSA-AFP) - VILNIUS, FEB 7 - Baltic states Lithuania, Latvia
and Estonia are to disconnect from the Russian power grid on
Saturday, a politically-charged move that severs their
Soviet-era energy ties with Moscow. A giant digital clock in the
Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, is counting down the hours until
the states join the western European power grid. "We are now
removing Russia's ability to use the electricity system as a
tool of geopolitical blackmail," Lithuania's Energy Minister
Zygimantas Vaiciunas told AFP. Official celebrations are planned
across the Baltics, although some consumers worry about
disruptions to supply. Latvia will physically cut a power line
to Russia on Saturday and European Commission president Ursula
von der Leyen is to attend a ceremony with Baltic leaders in
Vilnius on Sunday. "This is the last step in our fight for
energy independence. We can finally take matters into our own
hands," Vaiciunas said. The Baltic states were once Soviet
republics but are now part of the European Union and key NATO
members on the frontier with Russia. They have been preparing to
integrate with the European grid for years but have faced
technological and financial issues. The switch became more
urgent after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, which spooked the
Baltic states into thinking they could be targeted. (ANSA-AFP).
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