Speech by President von der Leyen at the Synchronisation Baltic Connectors opening event
European Commission
Speech
Feb 8, 2025
Vilnius
My fellow leaders,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
What a day to be in Vilnius. What a day for Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. What a day for your close neighbours such as Poland. And what a day for Europe. Because today, history is being made. The Baltic States are switching on energy independence. No more reliance on Russia. No more external control. From this moment on, you are fully connected to Europe.
And what a journey it has been. 18 years of planning. The Baltics working hand in hand with Poland and the Scandinavian countries. More than 40 infrastructure projects. Over EUR 1.2 billion in European investment. Tireless cooperation between governments, engineers and institutions. All of it was worth it. Because today, we are not just talking about energy. As you have rightly said, Gitanas: Synchronisation is about sovereignty. We remember 1990, when the Soviet Union imposed an economic and energy blockade on reborn Lithuania. A desperate act to stop independence. Yet here we are today, standing together, 35 years later, cutting the last dependence on Russian energy. Congratulations.
For too long, we Europeans depended on Russian energy. Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, 45% of our gas, 50% of our coal and nearly one-third of our oil came from Russia. It seemed cheap. But you knew better. From your history, you knew Russian energy came at a price: blackmail, price shocks, economic uncertainty. So we acted. With REPowerEU, we slashed our dependency on Russian fossil fuels. We stopped importing Russian coal. We cut Russian oil purchases down to 3%. We reduced gas imports by 75%. And today, the last electricity grids in Europe that were still linked to Russia are now fully integrated into Europe's internal energy market. Our cooperation proves: When we stand together, no one can blackmail us.
This story is also about resilience. Russia targets European infrastructure, testing our defences, spreading chaos and fear. And once again, the Baltic states lead by example. You have invested heavily in the cybersecurity of your grids. You are constantly strengthening them. This is how we must think all across Europe. That is also why we asked President Niinistö to prepare a new blueprint for European preparedness. His report is absolutely clear: We must move from reacting to preparing; closer coordination between Member States; better protection of our critical infrastructure; readiness across government and society to defend the European way of life. The Baltic synchronisation makes us stronger, more resilient, better prepared for the future.
And we cannot talk about the future without clean energy. Synchronisation with the continent will help integrate renewable energy into your grids. This is not only cheaper. It gives us energy security and independence. It is homegrown. It creates good jobs at home, here in Europe. And it is good for our competitiveness. A strong economy needs cheap, stable and reliable power. And the Baltic states are leading this transformation. You are investing in solar and offshore wind. You are building smart grids. You are proving that energy independence and clean energy can go hand in hand. Across Europe, renewables now generate more electricity than all fossil fuels combined. This is the future. It benefits consumers and industry; lowers energy costs; more investment; greater innovation. But we must go further. That is why we will complete the European Energy Union so that power flows seamlessly and freely across our continent.
So yes, my dear friends, today is a day to celebrate. Because this is about more than energy. It is about European integration. It is about European sovereignty. It is about proving, once again, that when we come together, we can move mountains. Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia - you are at the heart of Europe. You worked tirelessly for this moment. And today, all of Europe celebrates with you.
Long live the Baltics. Long live Europe. Thank you very much.
