Then the three countries will formally move from the so -called Brell Power network, which has linked them to Russia and Belarus from the end of World War II.
The Brele -network – standing for Belarus, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania – is almost completely controlled by Russia and has long been regarded as a vulnerability for the former Soviet republics, which are now NATO members.
After turning off this three countries, they will work in an “isolated mode” for about 24 hours – surviving only at their own power – before integrating into a European network through Poland.
“Now we are removing Russia’s ability to use electricity as a tool for geopolitical blackmail,” said Lithuanian Energy Minister Sigimantas Vainas.
“This is the culmination of efforts for more than 10 years or 20 years to reduce this energy addiction,” said Professor David Smith of the Baltic Study at Glasgow University in BBC.
“When the Baltic States joined the EU and NATO, everyone said that they were the island of energy, which still depended on this joint electricity network with the Belarusian and Russia,” Smith said. “Now it’s completely broken.”
