Power switch

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have agreed to link their power systems to other EU member member nations through Poland as they look to reduce their dependence on Russia.

The power grids in Baltic countries were formerly part of the Soviet Union and are still integrated with those in Belarus and Russia.


The three tiny countries say dependence on Russia is a threat, because of a lack of transparency on upkeep of the network in Russia, which they say makes it hard to rely on its stability.

"We would want to desynchronize the Baltic States from Russia. And first priority is desyncronization which will be done through Poland," Estonia's Prime Minister Juri Ratas told reporters in Tallinn after meeting his counterparts from Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.

"All four of us agreed that we will try to get clarity on division of [duties] between all four countries by the end of the year," Ratas said.

Russia has never cut power flows to the Baltic states or threatened to do so, but Lithuania lists its power system's synchronization with Russia as one of the top national security risks.

The countries will still need to find a way to accommodate Russia, whose Kaliningrad enclave power network is currently synchronized with mainland Russia through the Baltic states.