Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean today ordered his government to begin preparations for the possible nationalization of gas company Moldovagaz, 50% of which is owned by Russian oil company Gazprom.

Gazprom announced that it plans to stop natural gas exports to Moldova on January 1, starting at 05:00 GMT (07:00 Greek time), due to non-payment.

Speaking during a government meeting, Retzean told the Minister of Justice to prepare the legislative changes that would allow the nationalization.

“We must act in the strategic areas. Among other things, these facilities were also taken away from us once… And we will have to return them to state ownership,” Retchean said, referring to the ownership structure when the company was founded in 2013.

In addition to Gazprom’s stake, the pro-Russian enclave of Transnistria owns about 13 percent, while the Moldovan government owns 35.6 percent.

Russia supplies Moldova with about 2 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. This quantity is channeled through neighboring Ukraine, whose contract with Russia for the transit of natural gas expires on December 31. Kiev has refused to extend the gas transit deal as its war against Russia nears three years.

Moldovagaz transports Russian natural gas to Transnistria, which is used to generate cheap energy sold in Moldovan government-controlled areas.

Moldova disputes that it is delaying previous gas shipments and accuses Russia of destabilizing the country, which Moscow denies.

Moldova and Transnistria have imposed an economic state of emergency, including measures to reduce electricity consumption during peak hours.

Analysts said parliamentary approval would be required before any nationalization could go ahead.