Baltics Count Down the Days to Leaving Russian Energy Grid
A two-story clock in the Lithuanian capital is tracking the minutes until the countries switch to Europe’s electricity system.
Illustration: Maggie Cowles for Bloomberg
On the bank of the river Neris across from Lithuania’s old town of Vilnius, a two-story digital clock is counting down the minutes until the Baltic countries sever their remaining ties to Russia’s energy infrastructure.
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, which share a 1,015-mile-long border with Russia and Belarus, have been among the most vocal countries in the European Union about the threat posed by Moscow. Following the invasion of Ukraine, they stopped importing Russian crude oil and natural gas. Now, they’re taking the final step: disconnecting from Russia’s electricity grid.