Zelenskyy said last year he had no intention of renewing the gas transit deal, stressing the importance for Europe of moving on from Russia and not allowing the Kremlin to ‘earn additional billions’ on Ukrainian blood.

Volodymyr Zelensky has stated his belief that a deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine could be made under Donald Trump’s presidency but demanded Kyiv be included in any peace talks.The Ukrainian president also said on Saturday that the terms of any deal that might arise under the new US president were still unclear – and might not even be clear to Trump himself – because Vladimir Putin had no interest in ending the war.

Moldova's breakaway Transdniestria region expects to receive Russian gas again soon to meet its needs, its leader Vadim Krasnoselsky said on Wednesday, two weeks into crippling power cuts in the Russian-backed enclave.

The leader of Moldova's separatist Transdniestria region, gripped by power and heating cuts, said on Friday that gas reserves would be exhausted within days and urged the central government to end "artificial delays" and provide new supplies.

The crisis prompted a question: will the breakaway region, occupied by Russia since 1992, survive without Russian gas? Free-of-charge Russian gas had been the backbone of Transnistria's economy and ensured the preservation of the breakaway region and its de facto independence from Moldova.

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, shakes hands with President of Moldova Maia Sandu in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Jan. 25,

Russia has long used its plentiful energy resources as a tool to exert control over the region, where independence from Russian energy is tied to political sovereignty.

Moldova's prime minister told AFP on Wednesday the international community is ready to offer gas to end the energy crisis in Transnistria but a lasting solution hinges on Russia withdrawing its troops from the separatist region.

Since Russia stopped delivering gas to Moldova, Valera Alexandru Sava only heats the ground floor of his two-storey house and often wears a coat and hat inside.

“Kremlin officials are attempting to exploit the energy crisis in Moldova to set conditions to justify future Russian aggression against Moldova,” the ISW analysts believe.

The Transdniestria region in Moldova faces a severe energy crisis as its gas reserves dwindle. With Ukraine refusing transit and Moldova awaiting overdue payments, the region's residents suffer from power outages and severe winter hardships.

Moldova's Separatist Enclave Hopes Russia Will Resume Gas Supplies Soon By Alexander Tanas CHISINAU (Reuters) -Moldova's breakaway Transdniestria region expects to receive Russian gas again soon ...