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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Polish President Andrzej Duda has attended a ceremony in Lithuania marking the moment the three Baltic states cut their links to Russia’s electricity grid and instead connected to the EU’s network via Poland.
“We are witnessing a truly historic moment in the contemporary history of Central and Eastern Europe and a significant achievement towards making our region more secure and resilient,” declared Duda.
“For every nation in Central Europe, especially in light of the emergence of Moscow’s neo-imperialism, cutting off all strategic ties with Russia becomes both a moral imperative and a political necessity,” he added. “This is the final step towards emancipation from the post-Soviet sphere of dependence.”
Baltic electricity synchronization with continental Europe is now a reality! pic.twitter.com/LgsoblFTuo
— Gitanas Nausėda (@GitanasNauseda) February 9, 2025
Since the years after World War Two, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia – which were then part of the Soviet Union – have been connected to the Russian grid. That situation continued even after the trio gained independence in 1991.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Baltic states stopped buying energy from Moscow. Now, with the help of around €1.23 billion in EU funds, they have fully integrated themselves into the EU’s internal energy market.
On Sunday, in a ceremony attended by the presidents of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the countries marked the switch.
The Baltic states now have “freedom from threats and blackmail, at last”, declared von der Leyen. “Today, we celebrate the Baltic States’ energy independence. Europe is following your lead – phasing out Russian energy and building a free future together.”
Plugged off Russia.
Plugged into Europe.Today, we celebrate the Baltic States' energy independence.
Europe is following your lead – phasing out Russian energy and building a free future together ↓ https://t.co/LnGnDeeQr9
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) February 9, 2025
In his speech, Duda noted that the switching of electricity networks is part of a broader move in recent years to better connect the Baltic states to Poland, the region, and the rest of the EU.
This has included the development of infrastructure for the import and transport of gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG), plans to integrate the Baltics’ rail network to the rest of the EU via Poland, and closer cooperation through the Three Seas Initiative, a regional group of countries located between the Baltic, Black and Adriatic Seas.
“Poland is a bridge between the Baltic countries and the rest of Europe,” declared the Polish president. “Synchronisation significantly strengthens our security and sovereignty.”
He noted that it was as far back as 2008, under the late Polish President Lech Kaczyński, that Poland and Lithuania first signed an agreement to connect their power networks.
NATO has launched a new military operation in the Baltic Sea, an idea promoted by Poland last year in response to sabotage targeting undersea cables.@donaldtusk said at today's summit that "all signs point to Russia" being responsible for the damage https://t.co/cBPdL1fKkK
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) January 14, 2025
Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Main image credit: Łukasz Błasikiewicz/KPRP
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
