MOSCOW - If Ukraine is connected to the European Union's power grid, this would mean that Russia would have to build new power transmission lines for itself, which would cost it 8 billion to 10 billion euro, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
Speaking in an interview with Il Corriere della Sera in the run-up to a visit to Italy, Putin said the EU insists that the Baltic countries, which are its members now, be disconnected from the energy system of the former Soviet Union and Russia and join the EU’s energy system.
“What does this mean for us in practical terms? It means that we will be forced to build additional generating capacities in some western regions in Russia. Since electricity transmission lines went through the Baltic States to some Russian regions and vice versa, all of them will now be switched over to Europe, and we will have to build new transmission lines in our country to ensure electricity supply,” Putin said.
“This will cost us about 2-2.5 billion euro,” he said.
“Now let’s look at the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. It does not require that Ukraine becomes part of the European energy system, but it is considered possible. If this happens, we will have to spend not 2-2.5 billion but, probably, about 8-10 billion euro for the same purpose,” he said.
