The PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky:
Good afternoon, dear journalists, colleagues, leaders. The working week is ending, the week of the energy crisis that Pridnestrovie has faced. Not just the week, but the month. We can sum up the results of this month by and large, identify the cause-and-effect relationships between events, show them, speak about the results of those efforts that were aimed at ensuring that the energy crisis came to an end and people finally received heat. I am ready to answer your questions. I am convinced that your interest is caused not only by the interests of this or that channel, but by the interests of the people. This is the most important thing. I communicate with people and convey the information that is interesting to them with your help.
Victor Savchenko, First Pridnestrovian TV Channel:
The question that immediately comes to mind: when will the gas crisis be resolved, when will gas come to us and people will warm up?
The PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky:
I am interested in basic solutions to this problem as the President, as a person responsible to the people – not for 10 days, not for a month, but for a long period of time. I had no doubt that we would overcome this crisis, that heat would come to homes, but we must do everything to ensure that this does not happen again, so that mechanisms work to insure against such phenomena. This is important. I would like to remind you of the root cause of all the events that are happening. Some analysts say that this is the cessation of transit through Ukraine. Possibly. Some say that Gazprom has stopped making deliveries. Possibly. Some name other reasons for all of this. I see the basis as the President, as a politician. Everything else is secondary. There are two reasons. They do not change. The first is the lack of a normal dialogue with Moldova. The second reason is economic.
As for the lack of the dialogue, this is the lack of a normal platform for clarifying positions, this is the lack of the “5+2” format. Let me remind you that the "5+2" format is not just two numbers with a plus. It includes Pridnestrovie, Moldova, guarantors – Russia and Ukraine, the OSCE mediator and observers – the United States and the European Union. This is the platform that would allow us to discuss, among other things, energy issues and make timely decisions to avoid an energy crisis in Pridnestrovie. Not only in Pridnestrovie. There would be no energy crisis if this platform worked, I assure you. This is the first point. The second point is the lack of a normal dialogue with the top officials of the Republic of Moldova. I have already said it many times, and I will repeat it again: I always have proposals for dialogue. But there is no dialogue, and this makes it difficult to clarify all the issues, the entire problematic agenda that exists today. I want to remind you that in addition to the energy crisis, there are a lot of issues related to business, foreign economic activity, the banking system, the interests of our entrepreneurs. All this creates the preconditions for crises: energy, political, economic. All sorts of crises are possible when there are no normal negotiations, when there is no negotiation process.
The second aspect. This is the incorrect financial relations between Moldovagaz and Gazprom. By and large, these are the main reasons influencing the current and further developments.
I would like to once again literally briefly name the events that took place over the past month and a little earlier.
We received a notification from Moldovagaz on December 28 that Moldovagaz was stopping gas supplies to the republic. There were accusatory notes addressed to us in the same message. Although this is absolutely insignificant and legally incorrect. No other proposals for gas supplies from this enterprise to Pridnestrovie were received. At the same time, Moldovan officials stated during the development of the crisis: you can take gas anywhere, any way you want. For a fee. Please. There is no free gas. You remember all these statements.
I did not sit idle, and neither did the people around me. We worked in several directions. Operational Headquarters was created, a corresponding economic situation was introduced, we worked both on the ground and with documents, we worked to minimize the consequences of this energy crisis in Pridnestrovie, to finally find a way to supply gas to Pridnestrovie. These are the ideas we worked with, we lived by them. We minimized the consequences of this energy crisis for people. Naturally, we worked with our Russian colleagues as well. I arrived in Moscow with proposals. I would like to emphasize separately that our Russian colleagues (at the level of the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation) did not dictate terms to us. No, that did not happen. They listened to us, to what we wanted. They were interested in only one thing – to develop a mechanism so that gas would be delivered to Pridnestrovie very quickly, so that people would have warmth. They were not interested in specific companies, and so on. We had offers from the "Natural gas" company before going to Moscow. This is an enterprise that has a license in Moldova, is engaged in the supply and transportation of gas not only in Moldova, but also in Europe. An intermediary firm, a Moldovan firm that has a license from the Government. What would seem simpler – to use the services of this enterprise and supply gas to Pridnestrovie. Moreover, there is a very strong legal department at this enterprise "Natural gas", specialists who 100% guaranteed the legal and practical possibility of supply. Honestly, it seemed to me that we had found a way out. Returning from Moscow, I was confident in solving the problem. In addition, there were agreements that the Russian Federation provides us with a loan, with the help of which we can pay for the gas supply. This is absolutely normal, these are credit obligations, no questions. What I want to note and for which I thank my Russian colleagues: I saw a sincere desire to help. People worked on weekends, waited for us, we worked on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday to ensure this logistics. I assure you and want to reassure Moldovan citizens: there was not even a shadow of a desire to escalate the situation. This is all untrue, this is all a lie. No one was dealing with issues of escalation, how to make things worse for their neighbor. No. The question was how to help Pridnestrovian citizens.
I will return to the topic of escalation – to all these various speculations. This is a separate story. We will look closely at who tried to unscrew this escalation here, on the banks of the Dniester. This is a separate topic. I express gratitude to our Russian colleagues, those who worked and are working on organizing normal and long-term gas supplies to Pridnestrovie. We arrived, started to establish contractual relations with this company, to express desires in a legal shell, but we saw simply furious resistance from the leadership, officials of Moldova, unwillingness for this company to supply gas to Pridnestrovie. I was surprised, to be honest. There is an emergency commission, which in the emergency situation has the right to make decisions regarding gas supplies even if there are some legal rough edges. I assumed that the interests of the people who are suffering in Pridnestrovie should be put at the forefront, especially since there were statements that "we will let through, yes, please, any gas, without preconditions".
I would also like to recall the visit of Ms. Valtonen to Pridnestrovie on January 9. She is the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, who brought a good message from the Moldovan leadership that the Moldovan government will not hinder gas supplies to Pridnestrovie. There were no preconditions about who could and could not. Therefore, I assumed that everything would be fine. But resistance ensued. I realized that this topic was dead when senior officials specifically stated that “Natural Gas” would not supply gas to Pridnestrovie. We were not going to overcome this position or argue. It is useless. This is their opinion and unwillingness to work with this company. What is behind this, I will not discuss, no one needs it. All this is secondary in principle. The Moldovan leaders stated that only Moldovagaz can supply gas to Pridnestrovie. Well, Moldovagaz, go ahead. On January 18, we made a statement agreeing with Moldova's position to supply gas to Pridnestrovie via Moldovagaz. We guaranteed payment at the same time. What happened next? In theory, Moldovagaz, having this fuel, could supply it to us for money. There is a market price, there is a price in Moldova, there is even an opportunity for Moldovagaz to make money on this, probably. This is commerce after all. The head of Moldovagaz could offer us a supply of 10, 20, 30 million cubic meters for a certain period of time until long-term legal relations with another company. This did not happen. What did we hear? Only statements, slogans. We are ready to help. What is behind this? Where are your proposals? Where are the algorithms? Where are the plans? Not one, not two, not three. No. Although, I repeat once again, Moldovagaz could have supplied gas to Pridnestrovie, but this was not done. Why? Because Moldovagaz has gas storage facilities, and it was quite possible to find 30 million cubic meters for 10 days as has been done now by the Europeans. What happened next? We still did not stand still, we held a lot of discussions, speeches, analysis, and so on. Then the Moldovan government offered us a Hungarian company. This is a large European company that can supply gas to Pridnestrovie for payment through Moldovagaz. We agreed with this, no questions. A Hungarian company. Thanks to Hungary for this – for meeting us halfway. These supplies are being formed now. There are certain documented technical deadlines for the transaction. Therefore, all this is in parallel. Information appeared only after that, on January 27, on the European Commission website that the European Union was ready to provide a grant – to Pridnestrovie, Moldova – for electricity generation, for heat supply. This also caused a lot of discussions, misunderstandings: how, to whom, how much, and so on. I was forced to appeal through social networks, through a telegram channel and officially for an explanation of this position. We do not need money in fact. They write millions there, but we will not see them. We need gas, which will be purchased for this money and delivered to Pridnestrovie. Of course, I am grateful to the European Commission and those officials who did not stand aside and are ready to help the Pridnestrovian people overcome this energy crisis. We did not refuse this help. It would probably be shameless before the people – to refuse the help that is offered at such a difficult time.
According to the messages of the Prime Minister of Moldova, Mr. Recean, it became clear what and where will be spent. We are quite happy with all of this. There is already a decision by a special commission that authorizes this deal. Authorizes the deal to supply gas to Pridnestrovie. True, it will be Energokom, not Moldovagaz, that will supply. You see, an exception has been made here too. Not only Moldovagaz, but also Energokom can supply gas to Pridnestrovie. That is normal. Of course, other relations should grow together then. One does not interfere with the other. We will continue working with our colleagues from Hungary, with our Russian colleagues, with other colleagues, so that gas will flow to Pridnestrovie thoroughly and for a long time. That is the story.
What did I not see? I did not see any desire on the part of Moldova to quickly resolve these problems. I assure you, these problems could have been resolved in mid-January, at least after we stated that we did not object to supplies from Moldovagaz. Moldovagaz could have done it. It was not done. You know, there was a state of a swamp of these contradictory statements. I suggest we move away from harsh rhetoric, get together and discuss everything calmly. We are all sane people, we all want peace for our land. Let's move away from this agenda, which largely creates escalation and tension. This is the first thing.
The second point. We are still energetically connected, no matter how you look at it. I want to tell you again what the Dnestrovsk station is, the Kuchurgan station, as it is called. The energy system was multi-level and tied to certain objects in Soviet times. This is how it was formed throughout the post-Soviet space. This Soviet model of the energy system actually shows miracles of survivability to this day. I assure you, there is nothing like it anywhere in the world. Our regional energy security was tied to the Dnestrovsk State District Power Plant. The operation of the entire energy system depends on the operation of the Dnestrovsk State District Power Plant. That is, this station must be in operation all the time. At least one power unit must be in operation. It does not matter whether it is gas or coal-fired, but the generator must be spinning. Why? Because only when the station is operating can we transit electricity from Romania to Moldova and balance the energy with Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, and Pridnestrovie. Everything will drop if the station stops operating. Absolutely everyone will feel it: Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, and Pridnestrovie. This will be a collapse of the energy system. Surprisingly, it took a long time to explain this to specialists from Moldova. Our specialists and specialists from Moldelectrica explained to their colleagues that it is true, and they can’t take such risks. The station must be in operation. We need to talk about this with our Moldovan colleagues, so that we can keep this in mind in the future and avoid such complications.
The main goal is to provide heat to people. The decision of the Moldovan Emergency Situations Commission was made. The system is filled with gas on February 1-2. I think that on Saturday-Sunday, we will switch one unit at the Dnestrovsk State District Power Plant to gas. In theory, we should get rid of rolling blackouts on Saturday, approximately Saturday-Sunday. Naturally, the thermal power industry also receives gas. This is Sunday-Monday. We will gradually raise the temperature so that there are no major accidents. Of course, accidents are not excluded in this operating mode on Sunday-Monday. Nevertheless, I think that people will have heat in their homes. That is, everything will return to normal. These are the dates.
Dmitry Matveyev, Tsargrad TV:
Vadim Nikolaevich, did you just say that this decision is a temporary scheme, or is it permanent? Does Pridnestrovie have a vision of a permanent solution to this problem?
The PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky:
This is in fact a temporary scheme – from the 1st to the 10th. There are other statements about long-term supplies, but we must be convinced of them. Of course, we must work with reliable, stable, long-term suppliers, which is what we are currently doing, establishing contacts with them. The assistance – thank you for it – is temporary assistance for the period from February 1 to 10.
Alla Ivanchenko, News of Pridnestrovie:
Our economy has suffered significant damage. Do we have funds for January social payments?
The PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky:
We have always been thrifty and prudent owners, although we have implemented our social projects. We have construction all around us, they are ongoing, they have not stopped, by and large. We have some reserves from last year, of course.
Igor Avrenev, TSV:
Vadim Nikolaevich, several statements have been made about the fact that the Moldavian GRES is not capable of providing electricity that is suitable for Moldova, as if it is outdated, and this European grant will not reach the Moldavian GRES. What do you say about these statements?
The PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky:
These are strange statements, Igor. The Moldavian GRES supplied 80% of electricity to Moldova until recently. Why did it suddenly become of the wrong standard or quality? This is surprising. I will ask the experts. I am not an energy specialist. We consume this energy and it is on the balance sheet. Everyone consumes it. It is just that this money is supposed to be purchased from another electricity supplier, as I understand it, but this is their decision. I do not want to comment on it, there is no point in it.
Olga Zolyboroda, Moldova 24:
Please tell, what do you think about the statements of some Moldovan politicians who are now openly gloating over the situation in Pridnestrovie regarding the energy crisis? People are freezing, and instead of helping, they are simply demanding the nationalization of the Left Bank enterprises. This is a hostile takeover in fact. What can such frankly insane initiatives lead to, in your opinion?
The PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky:
Thank you, Olga. How can I say, there are statements, but no grounds. Theoretically, anything can be nationalized, you can even try the Great Wall of China and the Egyptian pyramids. This is from the history, from the song. The question is – why? Why enter into a conflict, because the Dnestrovsk State District Power Plant is the property of Inter RAO of the Russian Federation. This is about the development of escalation, to which I have always drawn attention – that we are not the generators of these escalation ideas. Pay attention to other statements. For example, Mr. Serebrian, who said that gas supplies to Pridnestrovie between Chisinau and Tiraspol should be carried out in such a way that there is no Russian factor. You remember the statement, right? The President and Mr. Prime Minister said literally before that that Gazprom should resume supplies. That is, one contradicts the other. This is not just a play on words. I think it was done intentionally. I suggested that they get together and decide on the agenda. I think that such rumors are not being thrown out for no reason. Look at the reaction. Then there were statements: let's withdraw the peacekeepers. There, in the same energy basket. I want to remind you not to return to peacekeepers, at least not today. The peacekeeping forces, the Joint Peacekeeping Forces of Russia, Pridnestrovie and Moldova serve here on the basis of the 1992 peace agreement. This is a completely different legal institution. This peace agreement was signed by the presidents of Moldova and the Russian Federation in the presence of the president of Pridnestrovie. The agreement was signed. The peacekeepers of the Russian Federation are on the territory of Pridnestrovie until the complete settlement of relations between Pridnestrovie and Moldova – political settlement. That's all. Therefore, there is no need to throw everything into one basket, push all the issues there and then wait for some result. There will be no result. There will be an attempt to escalate the situation in reality.
I was always amazed by this statement. How can we be the subject of speculation against the backdrop of an energy crisis and act as the engine of escalation? This is a lie. I have seen on the networks, on the Moldovan networks, that electricity is being transited through Pridnestrovie. Romania, Moldova. Pridnestrovie can disconnect. I am very responsible and understand the possible consequences of all these actions. This is called escalation. We have not done this and will not do it because we understand that this will completely unbalance the entire system, the regional energy system as a whole. Everyone will suffer from this, including us, including Moldova. This cannot be done. We were counting on common sense and, naturally, on stable supplies, and not on the worsening of the situation. There were other statements by individual deputies, such as Nantoi and his fellows, that the Pridnestrovian people should be destroyed altogether, and so on. There was a lot of gloating, not from everyone, but from a certain group of, so to speak, Moldovan activists. They expected that Pridnestrovie would cave in, break, the people would panic, everyone would flee Pridnestrovie, everyone would suddenly move to Moldova to live, that the government would not cope, but they were wrong in their expectations. This is absolutely natural, because here are the Pridnestrovian people, and there are the people who live in the former Bessarabia, now called Moldova. We have completely different peoples, absolutely different peoples, with different characters. Our people have experienced even worse, I assure you. If you look at the almost three-hundred-year history of the people living here, what kind of events they have not experienced. This is a difficult stage, of course, but we will overcome it, we have already overcome it. I did not doubt the people. I have always relied on the people. By the way, it would be difficult for me to lead if there were no support – the Pridnestrovian people. That's all.
Yulia Gorlova, Sputnik News Agency:
Vadim Nikolaevich, what will it cost to return gas to Pridnestrovians? Should we expect any increase in utility rates?
The PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky:
Yes, of course, the issue of rates will be raised, I will not hide it. Of course, we must very flexibly move along the path of increasing energy prices, so that the well-being of citizens does not fall to a certain level. This is true. I still assume that people will feel it when they pay for January. The government is already working to stretch these payments over a long period of time, so that citizens do not pay the entire amount for January at once. If someone wants to pay, they can pay. If there is a desire to pay in installments, I think that this should be done. Energy prices are an open question and it will be further discussed both in the government and in the Supreme Council, of course. Decisions must be made very carefully in this sphere. This is actually a long question for a year, two, three, because it is unrealistic to raise prices right away today. I mean sharply.
Viktor Berezhny, First Pridnestrovian TV Channel:
Vadim Nikolaevich, please tell, this European aid, which is for 10 days, what will these volumes of gas be enough for? We are talking about warmth and stable light in houses. Will this be enough to heat schools, kindergartens? Will we open them at all?
The PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky:
Naturally, we will immediately return the students to their desks as soon as the schools are warmed up, as soon as the temperature regime of 23-24 degrees is restored there. This applies to all educational institutions. The Minister of Education will receive the command on Monday at the Operational Headquarters, and we will return the children to schools as the premises warm up. If the school reaches a temperature of 23-24 degrees, we will return the children to their desks. It hasn't been reached yet – we'll wait another day. I think there will be a flexible system. This applies to kindergartens, higher education institutions, and secondary schools.
Vladislav Lukash, TSV:
Vadim Nikolaevich, a question about MGRES. You said that gas will probably go to one unit of MGRES tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Does this mean that we are completely moving away from coal at MGRES? Is there a risk that we will return to this coal after the 10th in your opinion?
The PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky:
Well, unfortunately, you know, we may not return to coal even with a great desire. There is literally only for a few days left there. There is the concept of technical coal. It is already lying on the ground. An excavator is working there – a person with a broom does not walk around and collect this coal. An excavator works with a bucket. Naturally, there is a danger if you rake out the coal to the end and send the soil there to this unit. This cannot be done, of course. There is literally only enough coal left for days in fact, and we are unlikely to return to it. But the government has received the task, and Inter RAO officials and the station itself are concerned about acquiring this coal, of course. I would like to remind you that the Dnestrovsk State District Power Station needs a special coal – anthracite. It still needs to be found somewhere. They say there is some in New Zealand somewhere. I don’t know. I haven’t been there. They say there is some in Africa. I don’t know. This is the job of specialists who should be doing this. We must replenish the coal reserves. Ukraine offered gas coal, for example, but this is only 15% of the total anthracite volume, do you understand? It can be mixed, as the specialists say. Consultations must be held. I am not an expert. The coal that Ukraine offers has the right to exist at this station, but in some small percentage. The specialists will give their opinion. Naturally, we are concerned about renewing the coal reserves, restoring them at this plant. As for remaking the coal turbine, this requires a long period of time, almost a year, and very large financial costs. The costs at old prices are more than 50 million euros, which is practically impossible in today's conditions, and impossible in terms of time. Therefore, if we are talking about this year, then we must count on gas, of course. That's the first. And secondly, we must think about replenishing coal reserves.
Viktor Savchenko, First Pridnestrovian TV Channel:
Vadim Nikolaevich, please clarify whether there will be electricity exports to Moldova when we receive the first batch of gas, and whether there will be any later, after February 10, if we finally receive gas under the Russian loan?
The PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky:
No, Viktor, there are no plans to export electricity from the Dnestrovsk State District Power Plant to Moldova. It is possible if an additional volume of gas is supplied to the station and processed for electricity export.
Dmitry Matveyev, Tsargrad TV:
Vadim Nikolaevich, a question about the return of hot water and the resumption of gas stations.
The PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky:
Well, of course. It's all in a complex. Hot water and gas stations. Naturally. It's all a complex plan, of course. We receive gas, exactly the amount of gas to meet these needs.
Alexander Lagutin, RIA News:
Vadim Nikolaevich, how will this gas crisis affect the relations between Pridnestrovie and Moldova? Will it bury the settlement process? Will it be possible to achieve good-neighborly relations between Chisinau and Tiraspol?
The PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky:
The question is so broad, Alexander. You know, trust between the parties is very important in relations. Trust. This element of trust has been greatly shaken during this energy crisis. This is no secret, these are normal human emotions. We are all human, and we react to current events. This is natural. I want to remind you that the energy crisis is not the only problem in our relations. We also have an economic blockade from Moldova, and a banking blockade from Moldova. These issues need to be addressed. How can we do this without dialogue? I can say one thing for sure: without dialogue, it is impossible to return to trust between the parties. That is why I said that the first reason is the lack of dialogue. This is the first reason for all the events, blockades, energy crisis and so on. I suppose that Moldovan politicians have their own advisers, someone suggests resolving the issue very quickly. This is all a lie. No one has yet come up with a better dialogue than one-on-one. Only these one-on-one dialogues are capable of solving a lot of problems in reality. Dispel myths, remove stereotypes, come to some decision, conclude an agreement, implement it, bear responsibility to the interlocutor. That's all. We should not think about escalation. We should think about peace. Of course, we should restore relations. I sincerely want this. Olga asked questions about someone rejoicing over the grief of their neighbor. I do not wish Moldova to go through these trials. I sincerely do not wish it. People will suffer, the people will suffer. Why should we, the neighbor, watch this? If something happens, we can come to the rescue in this or that agenda. Of course, we need to restore all of this and avoid making accusatory statements against Pridnestrovie as I have already said. There is no point in that. We are not aggressors, we are not elements of escalation. We want a little: for people to live here in humane conditions.
Alexander Lagutin, RIA News:
Vadim Nikolaevich, it is clear that it will not be possible to open a gas field in Pridnestrovie. Will the republic work on self-sufficiency in energy? Many say that they are not very prepared. For example, a school was opened in Kamenka because there is a boiler room there. Maybe there is a need for such boiler rooms for all schools in Pridnestrovie? There is gas today, but it is gone tomorrow. How will Pridnestrovie react?
The PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky:
This is a comprehensive approach in fact. For example, green energy, solar panels. I am sure that after this crisis, this area will be in demand in terms of energy – as an additional source of energy. When we had gas and electricity in abundance and inexpensively, no one wanted to talk about it, no one was interested in it, there was no trigger, there was no situation. I am sure that in the current situation, business and the state will be engaged in this area, one of the areas. In addition, pay attention, people have removed the stoves in the private sector. There is a gas boiler, everything is fine. Of course, people will think about how to install a stove, a potbelly stove, a boiler on wood, coal, and so on. We have an "Elektromash" enterprise, where the production of boilers with a capacity of 15 to 500 kW will be established. Of course, we are not sitting idle. We purchased these boilers before "Elektromash" manufactured them, and installed them at our facilities, including social ones. We were preparing for this situation four years ago. We managed to connect the gas pipeline to the Caushany GIS, through which we will now receive gas in Pridnestrovie. Even then there were prerequisites for crisis phenomena. You did not know about this, but I knew about them. The relevant specialists knew about them too. We were working on this. Two years ago, we purchased generator stations that generate electricity autonomously, run on diesel fuel, and supply almost all hospitals, all social facilities, places of detention, and other facilities. The work was very large-scale, voluminous, and multi-vector. It will be carried out in the future. These are all elements of the fight against the energy crisis. We definitely must think about a stable gas supply. This is the 21st century. 97% of our facilities in Pridnestrovie are gasified. In any case, no matter what alternative you come up with – boilers or solar panels, there will still be a crisis without gas.
Olga Zolyboroda, Moldova 24:
The dialogue between Chisinau and Tiraspol resembles a series of accusations against each other despite attempts by Pridnestrovie to take such a good-neighborly vector. There is information that after your visit to Moscow, a meeting with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova Dorin Recean took place. Please tell me, was there such a meeting, were any options for gas supplies discussed at it or is this still insinuation?
The PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky:
Yes, I read about these meetings on the Internet. I was surprised myself. No, there were no meetings in Varnita, I assure you. These meetings did not take place anywhere. Mr. Recean and I met a long time ago, even before he became Prime Minister. When we met, he was Secretary of the Security Council. We discussed the issues that were on the agenda. These meetings were public, we did not hide them, by the way. We have not met since he has been Prime Minister. Therefore, all these stories of Internet speculators, these “experts”, are false and pursue only one goal: to provoke somewhere, to set up somewhere, perhaps, the Prime Minister of Moldova. That's all. Do not believe the speculation. I am not against meetings. Perhaps, I would be more satisfied with the results if these meetings took place. I assure you, any meeting is beneficial. But if there are none, then there are none.
Viktor Savchenko, First Pridnestrovian TV Channel:
Vadim Nikolaevich, Mr. Recean said that he called you after you returned from Moscow, and, as he said, tried to cool your ardor regarding the degree of regulation of gas relations.
The PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky:
this is normal naturally. I do not know how he commented, I did not read about ardor, but I am always for the people. When the people feel bad, I feel bad. Naturally, we defended ourselves, defended Pridnestrovie. As I said earlier, we did not escalate and reacted very restrainedly to the statements of Moldovan politicians who generated escalation in fact. It is good when I have the opportunity to call an example-Minister of Moldova, and he to me. But we do not call each other for nonsense. These calls are designed for only one thing – to stop the escalation of events that may take place God forbid. This is important. Specialists work on technical issues, governments work, energy specialists work, and so on. A call is great, but this opportunity does not remove, let's say, the problem of agreements. You can't discuss things over the phone, you can only express an opinion. Meetings are necessary, that's for sure.
Dmitry Matveyev, Tsargrad TV:
This whole situation is like a test for Pridnestrovie's stability in a variety of areas. In your opinion, communicating on the foreign policy course, was it possible to understand where Pridnestrovie is ready to be heard, where it is not, where it is heard well, where it is not?
The PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky:
There has been an information surge in fact at present. It is bad that they talk about this on the one hand, but it is probably good that they talk about us, of course. Probably, yes. They talk everywhere. They talk about Pridnestrovie everywhere. We are at the top of the information, so to speak. This is both good and bad. As it is already. I once said in 2017 or 2018 (and I have no doubt in the recognition of Pridnestrovie, in its independence), and now I want to repeat that we do not want recognition through blood. We do not want recognition through wars. You can’t mock the people like that. The people do not deserve it. The people have already endured all the hardships of this life. This nation has lived through more than one revolution, restructuring of the system, the war of 1992. It simply has the right to a normal life. I would very much like for the rich military history of Pridnestrovie to be stopped at some stage, and there would be a history of creation, development, peace, and prosperity of Pridnestrovie then. That's about it. God grant that this information surge will benefit precisely this development of events.
Viktor Berezhny, First Pridnestrovian TV Channel:
Regarding the gas that we buy for a Russian loan on the European exchange through a Hungarian company. Are there negotiations now and at what stage? Are there any guarantees that this gas will be delivered to us on February 11? How long-term is this a solution to our gas problem in your opinion in general?
The PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky:
This is one of the solutions to our problem. Technical and legal consultations on this agreement are currently underway. I don’t think there’s any point in specifying it. This is the work of specialists. As president, I probably shouldn’t talk about it yet.
Alexander Karasev, the Pridnestrovie newspaper:
Vadim Nikolaevich, maybe it’s too early to talk about it now, but I want to ask. There will be gas by the 10th. With the thorough assertiveness with which our leadership worked, we hope that the gas will continue to flow. Will the Capital Investment Fund, the Capital Investment Fund program be stopped? Will it be implemented? What objects will be given attention?
The PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky:
I am for development, of course. I am a supporter of programs that involve the development of our economy, including the Capital Investment Fund, and not only the Capital Investment Fund. There are many programs that are designed to develop the Pridnestrovian society. But today we are focused on fulfilling long-term social obligations. This is first and foremost. Then everything else. As our budget is filled, appropriate decisions will be made. What ones? We'll see.
Alexander Lagutin, RIA News:
Vadim Nikolaevich, you often talk about Russia, that you were in the Ministry of Energy. There is a new Russian ambassador in Moldova. How do you generally assess the relations between Moscow and Tiraspol? What prospects do you see for the near future?
The PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky:
We have traditional relations between Pridnestrovie and Russia. This is no secret. We were part of the Russian Empire. We were part of the Soviet Union. We had one society – the Soviet person, one Soviet people. It is simply impossible to sever all these ties overnight. It is impossible. Why? We have 220 thousand citizens of the Russian Federation living here, thousands of other citizens live in the territory of Pridnestrovie. All of them are the Pridnestrovian people, who have their own historical ties with Ukraine, and with Moldova, and with Russia, and with other states. As for Russia, we have rich cultural ties, rich educational ties, scientific ties. Russia is carrying out a peacekeeping mission here, this is understandable. We have always been consumers of Russian fuel, so to speak, until December 31. Today, Russia provides assistance. We have very large family ties. Therefore, Russia will always be a partner, friend and ally for us, of course. This is normal. At the same time, we 100% want normal human relations with our neighbors – with Ukraine and Moldova. This is absolutely normal for our society, for the Pridnestrovian people. That's all.
What is happening now is a tragedy, of course. I have always told you this, and you know my position very well. I do not hide it. Unfortunately, we were unable to prevent it. It happened that way. But it will all end someday all the same. I hope for peace. The whole earth, which is now being watered with blood, is tired of suffering. It is against reason. But they have come to this, unfortunately. Sooner or later, all this will end with peace talks. We will definitely witness all these events. I would like it to happen sooner, so that people stop dying.
I love in my views the history of the Russian Empire, I love the history of the Soviet Union. I know the historical power of the former state called the Russian Empire. The Soviet Union was a powerful state. How people lived in these states. We just don’t really know much about history. We weren’t taught much about it in schools. It was a grand state that was respected in the world, that was able to protect its citizens on any piece of land. It was done. Of course, there was the collapse of the empire, revolutions, civil wars, repressions, dispossession of the Cossacks, dispossession of the kulaks and everything else. There was the Great Patriotic War, a terrible war in fact, which the Soviet people overcame. The Soviet people were the winner number one in this war. Of course all the others took part, helped the Soviet Union. The allies – yes. No questions. The allies also left their mark on the history of the war. But only the Soviet people could win that war. The others were not able to do it. I can tell you this for sure as a person who is interested in military history. Then there was a relatively stable time – after 1945. Well, and then these pseudo-leaders, like Gorbachev and Yeltsin, came to lead our country. What happened was what happened. Direct betrayal of the interests of the people and the destruction of the Soviet Union. As I have said many times, they like to remember Antonescu in Moldova. He is no longer a monster in the history textbooks, but rather a good one, and not so bad either. I want to remind you who Antonescu is. Antonescu is an aggressor who gave orders to kill citizens of Jewish nationality. Thanks to his, so to speak, "leadership", hundreds of thousands of people died. About twenty thousand people were shot in one night in Odessa. He carried out punitive operations. What Pridnestrovie suffered from these actions in history is clear, but the Soviet period in history textbooks is designated as an occupation. These so-called occupiers – Soviet people – built all of Moldova, all of the enterprises, all of the educational institutions, all of the universities, and so on. That’s true. Of course, everyone wants a bright future, but so far I’ve only seen a bright past, in fact, called the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic.
And what Moldova has now is the legacy of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, which, unfortunately, they also failed to protect, and destroyed a lot. They probably want to destroy it here too, but they won’t succeed. We will endure and remain. This is roughly how history looks. That is why I am categorically opposed to the term “transnistria” in relation to Pridnestrovie. I will explain again why. I am also taking advantage of the Moldovan audience. Our territory began to be called “transnistria” after the occupation of this region by the Romanian fascists. And not only modern Pridnestrovie was part of the so-called “transnistria”. It was also the Odessa region, the capital was Odessa. That is, the capital of “transnistria” is the city of Odessa. A million were killed according to various sources: some say a million, some say 800 thousand, some say other figures, but these are definitely hundreds of thousands on the territory of “transnistria” during the period of its occupation. People were simply shot, torn to pieces, burned, killed in punitive actions. This is “transnistria”. That is, for me, “transnistria” is a synonym for the word "fascism". This is aggression, this is the Holocaust, this is death. This is called "transnistria". This word has discredited itself in history. Therefore, I call on everyone to abandon it. I once again call on everyone to abandon the discriminatory term "transnistria" in our address. Liability has been introduced for this term "transnistria" in Pridnestrovie, equated to the swastika and other fascist attributes. Which is true. We must respect ourselves and make others respect us. This is our history, these are our tragedies, our victories, and so on. This is ours. No one is allowed to encroach on this. Therefore, calling us "transnistria" is offensive and unacceptable.
Olga Zolyboroda, Moldova 24:
Since we are going into the issue of rewriting the history of Moldova and the fact that the Romanian invaders are now called almost saviors, please tell, 2025 is such a beautiful date, 80 years since the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. How will Pridnestrovie organize events? Will there be some large-scale celebrations, and maybe Pridnestrovie will be able to teach Moldova some lesson about how this should actually happen? How do you see this?
The President PMR Vadim Krasnoselsky:
We always celebrate May 9 widely, openly, honestly, without pathos. The whole nation celebrates. This year we will have the Immortal Regiment march naturally, despite all the circumstances. The people want it, and we must do it.
The Day of Liberation of Tiraspol from Nazi and Romanian Invaders, we will rebury the remains of the Unknown Soldier at our Glory Memorial in Tiraspol on April 12. The site is ready. You have probably seen it, it is being updated, repaired. It will be finished literally in March of this year. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Tiraspol will be an exact copy of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow, one to one, only a little smaller.
We still want naturally to finish the museum quarter, finish the museum of the Great Patriotic War, where there will be a panorama of the Jassy-Kishinev operation and artifacts of the Great Patriotic War will be presented. We will finish the partisan village, the pillbox that stands there, exhibit equipment from the war years, other equipment and make it accessible to residents of Pridnestrovie and guests of our capital.
I think it will be right, it will be honest. We do not distort history, we call things by their proper names. We also have monuments to the Holocaust, we have monuments to Soviet citizens repressed in 1937-1938, we have a museum of repressed Cossacks, the so-called decossackization. A presidential decree has established a date of remembrance - January 25 in Pridnestrovie, associated with the events of 1919. This is the day the repressions against the Cossacks began. More than two million people died after all. These were Cossack children, girls, boys, old people, women, Cossacks. They were killed. An entire people was exterminated. This is also an era, this is also our history. Naturally, we cannot shy away from history, we should not erase it, we should not hush it up. Rewriting history is a crime against one's own people, in fact. Since we are talking about this, then those people who are trying to destroy the Pridnestrovian people, I have already spoken about this, they have already happily destroyed the Moldovan people, at least their identity. Answer the question: what forms the identity of a people? These are languages, literature, culture, history. Unfortunately, the concept of "Moldavian" is emasculated in Moldova, in my opinion. There is no Moldovan language, no Moldovan culture, no history of Moldova or Moldova, I don't know what they call it, no culture, no traditions. They have been preserved somewhere, in families, somewhere in the provinces, naturally, people consider themselves Moldovans, but there is no internal saturation, it is emasculated. Romanian has been proposed. Romanian has the right to exist, no questions asked. There should be both Romanian and Moldovan, in my opinion. There are Russians and Ukrainians, there are Moldovans, there are Poles, there are Germans, there are Bulgarians, Romanians, Jews, and so on in our common Pridnestrovian family. This is normal, We all live together in a large multinational family called the "Pridnestrovian people", which is the bearer of its languages, knowledge, literature, history, and so on. That's all. Therefore, it is important to understand here not just that history is being rewritten. Epochs are being rewritten. Everything is being rewritten. Starting with the depth of understanding of the people, ending with the events and people who left some bright mark on this people – negative or positive. That's all. They are used to telling the truth and will tell the truth about events in Pridnestrovie. This is the only true path of our existence, our history.
Alla Ivanchenko, News of Pridnestrovie:
Vadim Nikolaevich, can I ask one more question? This month has been very difficult for Pridnestrovians, many have experienced a sense of despair. How has this crisis affected you personally – as the head of state, as a person?
The President PMR Vadim Krasnoselsky:
Yes, Alla Kharlampievna, under very strong tension, emotional tension, not physical, but emotional, moral tension. There was work every day. It did not start on January 1, but much earlier. We did everything to minimize the possible consequences even before the January holidays. We managed to do a lot. In any case, we did not stop the work of hospitals, correctional institutions, we moved those who needed it to other facilities that were provided with heat and normal food. There was the first meeting of the Operational Headquarters on January 1 at 14:00, where we not only set tasks, but also summed up the results of our actions. You remember, right? Everyone worked. Officials and specialists worked. Power engineers and heat engineers played a very important role, working day and night in the most difficult conditions. There were thousands of accidents. This happened every day and is still happening. People were at work day and night and tried to stabilize the system. Call centers worked. Every citizen's application was reviewed, analyzed, telephone records were kept. We monitor the execution of each application received by the call center, this is very important – not just to answer, but to monitor and provide feedback. No matter how difficult it is, when a person sees the work of the state and relies on it, it is easier for him, he sees support and moves forward. I have feedback, I rely on people, I make decisions and move forward. The unification of the people and the government has become more tangible in fact this month of January. Of course, different people. There was criticism. This is normal. I always accept criticism. Maybe there is something that needs to be improved, as I said. I am grateful to the Pridnestrovian people for having passed this test. It is a test in fact. Let's move on, life goes on, the river of time flows as usual. The Pridnestrovian people are not broken. There is no need to count on crises to break the Pridnestrovian people. It is a waste of time. We will endure and not this – God forbid, of course. In general, I really want to see schools full of children, to see kindergartens with girls and boys. My eldest grandson goes to school, my daughter goes to school, my grandson goes to kindergarten, and I want to get them back there. Let them be in their own children's society and enjoy life. Whoever wanted to encroach on this – I feel sorry for these people. Aggression only breeds aggression and nothing more. We are peace-loving people. We put the interests of the people first. This is very important. We will continue to work. Although, it will be tense, of course, I have no doubt about it. This is a breath of air, a break. There is no need to stop, and our work will continue in the same mode. No one is leaving anywhere, no one is going on vacation, everyone is at work, everyone will continue to work until there is a stable understanding of the energy situation in the region as a whole. Thank you.