Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Moldovan President Maia Sandu have discussed using Ukrainian coal to ease the energy crisis in Moldova’s separatist Transnistria region.
Pro-Russian region Transnistria has long relied on supplies of Russian gas but flows to the region through Ukraine were halted on January 1 after Ukraine decided not to renew an agreement on allowing gas to transit through its territory.
Authorities there on Wednesday said the region would run out of gas used for limited cooking and heating in less than a month, following the January 1 shutdown in Russian supplies. The breakaway region has been unable to provide heating and hot water to all its residents who have burned wood and used electric heaters.
But Ukraine said it could help ease the crisis. “We are ready to assist Moldova, including with coal supplies,” Zelensky said after discussing with Sandu by telephone.
Sandu said the two leaders “agreed to identify common solutions to prevent the worsening the humanitarian crisis … including through the use of alternative energy sources, such as coal”, in a statement pu
blished on the presidential website, .
