by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
CHISINAU/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Moldova began imposing a 60-day state of emergency Saturday on its energy and water sectors due to severely low water levels on the Dniester River and global armed conflicts that are driving up its energy costs. Yet the nation, wedged between war-torn Ukraine and Romania, won’t join the NATO military alliance, Prime Minister Vasile Tofan announced.
Moldova is facing “a severe hydrological deficit” on both the Dniester and Prut rivers, threatening water supplies in the European Union candidate country, according to the Environment Ministry.
Earlier this week, the 101-seat parliament approved the emergency measure by 54 votes to 20, with 22 lawmakers not casting ballots. It gives authorities additional powers to intervene quickly to maintain energy and water supplies.
The decision came after President Maia Sandu chaired a National Security Council meeting on the international energy crisis and measures to strengthen Moldova’s energy resilience ahead of winter.
MULTIPLE CRISES
Tofan described a “perfect storm” involving drought, conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and damage to energy infrastructure that had increased costs and put additional pressure on Moldova’s energy sector.
“I’m not saying that tomorrow we’ll run out of gas, diesel, electricity or water,” Tofan stressed. “The problem is that we are entering the cold season with several major risks overlapping at the same time.”
Moldova depends heavily on imported natural gas and electricity. Tofan said a reservoir on the Dniester River in Ukraine was releasing more water downstream toward Moldova than it was receiving, causing its water level to fall and raising concerns about Moldova’s water supply.
Environment Minister Gheorghe Hajder warned that restrictions on nonessential water use could become necessary. “We must have all the tools required to intervene,” he added.
RUSSIAN ATTACKS
Moldova previously declared an energy emergency in March after Russian strikes on Ukraine’s power grid disconnected a key electricity line linking Moldova to Romania. That month, thousands of Moldovans were also left without water after a Russian strike on the Novodnistrovsk hydropower plant resulted in pollution of the Dniester River.
Separately, Tofan stressed Thursday that Moldova has no plans to join NATO and intends to maintain its constitutional neutrality, rejecting Russian claims that the pro-Western government is seeking membership in the military alliance.
“Russia has been waging a hybrid war against Moldova, mostly by interfering in our elections, and I’m proud that we managed to withstand that threat,” Tofan told Bloomberg Radio ahead of his visit to the United Nations General Assembly.
He accused Moscow of promoting the idea to sow fear about Moldova’s pro-Western course by claiming that NATO membership would drag the country into the war in neighboring Ukraine.
RUSSIAN TROOPS
Moldova has faced power outages, cyberattacks and drone incursions since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Adding to security concerns, Russia maintains troops in Moldova’s breakaway Transnistria region, a narrow strip of territory along the Ukrainian border that has been outside Chisinau’s effective control since a war following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
However, while ruling out NATO membership, Tofan remains committed to his government’s goal of joining the European Union by 2030.
Chisinau has been pursuing extensive reforms required for EU membership, while Moldovan authorities have repeatedly accused Moscow of trying to derail the country’s westward course. Russia has denied interfering in Moldova’s affairs.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
