In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll discuss how Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania cut the cord on Russian energy, further reducing their reliance on the Kremlin. At the same time, the Baltics set an example for EU countries like Slovakia and Hungary whose leadership still worships Putin. 1/24 - ThreadSky

vatniksoup.bsky.social • 41 days ago

In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll discuss how Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania cut the cord on Russian energy, further reducing their reliance on the Kremlin.

At the same time, the Baltics set an example for EU countries like Slovakia and Hungary whose leadership still worships Putin.

1/24

Comments

ritaharrison.bsky.social•41 days ago

An excellent informative and enlightening thread from @vatniksoup.bsky.social

rosemmason.bsky.social•41 days ago

Re economic shock therapy (3/24), see Timothy Snyder's On Freedom. pp.15-16:

vatniksoup.bsky.social•41 days ago

Moscow has long used its vast natural gas reserves as a geopolitical weapon, manipulating energy supplies to keep neighbors obedient. They’ve used the “energy weapon” several times, with the most blatant cases of Kremlin blackmail coming of course from Ukraine.

2/24

vatniksoup.bsky.social•41 days ago

Let’s rewind back to the 1990s: The USSR dissolved, but Russia inherited the gas reserves, pipelines, and Gazprom — its political weapon. Meanwhile, the Baltic states were politically free but economically tied to Russia, heavily reliant on Russian gas.

3/24

vatniksoup.bsky.social•41 days ago

And Moscow was not afraid to use this weapon. A turn of the valve in Moscow could plunge Riga, Tallinn, or Vilnius into cold and darkness. In 2004, after Lithuania joined NATO and the EU, Gazprom quickly punished the country by raising gas prices by 40%.

4/24

vatniksoup.bsky.social•41 days ago

This strategy was straight out of the Kremlin’s playbook: use gas to intimidate, pressure and punish its neighbors. Ukraine felt it in 2006 & 2009 when Russia cut off their gas supply during disputes. But for the Baltic states, the tipping point came in 2014.

5/24

vatniksoup.bsky.social•41 days ago

In 2014, Russia annexed Crimea and invaded eastern Ukraine. Suddenly, Russian gas wasn’t just a commodity — it was a weapon. The Baltics realized they needed energy independence, and over the next decade, they made the impossible possible.

6/24

sherrillann.bsky.social•32 days ago

It sure filled Obama with fear...his strategy? Don't rock the boat.
I will never forgive him.

vatniksoup.bsky.social•41 days ago

Lithuania was the first to act. In 2014, they opened a floating LNG terminal aptly named “Independence”. It allowed the country to import gas globally, breaking Gazprom’s monopoly. Lithuania’s dependence on Russian gas quickly dropped from 100% to nearly 0%.

7/24

xcicman.bsky.social•41 days ago

That's why this is happening these days in Slovakia: https://bsky.app/profile/bbcrobc.bsky.social/post/3lggjzkjth22v

darwindepardieu.bsky.social•41 days ago

Thank you for your continued insight into RU and it’s neighbors.

alochmar.bsky.social•41 days ago

Good thread! The russian gas may have been cheap in a monetary sense, but that was never the full price.

findpablohere.bsky.social•41 days ago

Left twitter, but a sign of relief to see @vatniksoup.bsky.social here!!

vatniksoup.bsky.social•41 days ago

All soups are published here first!

jpeter1son.bsky.social•41 days ago

I prefer to see it as Twitter left me, got hooked on K, then spiraled downward into a burning ring of self destructive fire.

Either way it's good to be away from the eX. Search for " NAFO starter pack" if you need fellas to follow.

stlhd1000.bsky.social•41 days ago

📌

holden42.bsky.social•29 days ago

Good riddance.

rofe.bsky.social•40 days ago

Life is better without the russian criminals.

fischkoppnorth.bsky.social•41 days ago

Hey Pekka, in principle I agree with you, BUT
and here comes really a but:
You can not compare a 84 Mio peoples country and economy! with countries who have a population smaller than one of our big cities or even one of our federal states:
Lithuania - 2,8 Mio, Latvia - 1,8 Mio, Estonia - 1,3 Mio

fischkoppnorth.bsky.social•41 days ago

The gas consume and gas is not only energy but also a rawmaterial in the chemical industry.

canadiancreed.bsky.social•41 days ago

You would think that Hungary of all countries would know not to trust the Russian Bear, and yet....

suncloudswe.bsky.social•41 days ago

Hungary became a template for Russian serfdom in EU. Buy the elites with profitable oil&gas contracts and copy the Kremlin style of kleptocracy

amsiramy.bsky.social•39 days ago

Thank you very much 🙏

alberthubble.bsky.social•41 days ago

Great thread. You forget about the biggest gas storage in Germany "Rehden" and why the full scale invasion started in 2022. Rehden was basically let go empty by the Russians who managed it and NS2 was about to be certified. Russia stopped selling gas on the spot market weeks before to push prices.

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