A giant digital clock in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, is counting down the hours until the states join the western European power grid. “We are now removing Russia’s ability to use the electricity system as a tool of geopolitical blackmail,” Lithuania’s Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas said.

Official celebrations are planned across the Baltics, although some consumers worry about disruptions to supply.

Latvia will physically cut a power line to Russia on Saturday and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is to attend a ceremony with Baltic leaders in Vilnius on Sunday.

“This is the last step in our fight for energy independence. We can finally take matters into our own hands,” Vaiciunas said.

The Baltic states were once Soviet republics but are now part of the European Union and key NATO members on the frontier with Russia.

They have been preparing to integrate with the European grid for years but have faced technological and financial issues.

The switch became more urgent after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022

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