Energy minister Erkki Keldo (Reform) wants to work with Latvia to permanently stop Russian gas transit through the Baltics, with other options on the table if talks fail.
Speaking to ERR, the Estonian energy and environment minister said he plans to meet his Latvian counterpart as soon as Latvia's new government is in place.
"The valve, so to speak, that we can physically control on the Estonian side is closed, so nothing can flow through there," Keldo explained, referring to a natural gas pipeline that runs through Southeastern Estonia. "But the other physical pipe and valve are on the Latvian side, and we need to discuss this with the Latvians and Lithuanians."
He noted that the section of pipeline belongs to state-owned grid operator Elering and is used solely for transit, stressing that no gas from it can enter Estonia's domestic network.
Keldo declined to speculate before the two ministers met on whether Latvia would agree to shut off the supply, but he made his own position clear.
"We'll look at what intervention options and solutions are available," he said. "Since, unfortunately, [the pipeline] is operated by a Latvian state-owned operator, this is also a matter for negotiations with our neighbors and allies. But I can certainly say that I don't think this is right."
The minister said sanctions or other measures should be considered only after talks with Latvia.
The two countries have both advocated raising the cost of Russia's continued aggression in Ukraine through sanctions and additional tariffs, Keldo noted.
In light of this, while no Russian gas has flowed through the pipeline for more than two years already, he hoped his Latvian counterpart would help find a way to ensure it won't resume in the future either.
"I believe and hope we can reach an agreement with the Latvians," the minister said. "But if we can't, we'll have to look at what other options are available."
Sector politicians unaware
Earlier this week, Eesti Ekspress reported that Estonia is maintaining a natural gas pipeline running through Võru County that Russia can use to supply its exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast.
The paper noted that none of the Estonian politicians responsible for overseeing the sector in recent years were aware of the Russian gas pipeline arrangement.
Kaliningrad relies on Russian gas to fuel its power plants. After Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania disconnected from the Russian-controlled power grid in February 2025, the exclave was left as an isolated energy system.
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