Up until now, 100% of Moldova's gas has come from Russia. But the contract to supply it expired at the end of September. Gazprom raised the price and Moldova balked at paying it.
If there is no deal with Russia, could Moldova, one of Europe's poorest countries, buy enough gas elsewhere?
"It's the worst time to have a gas crisis at home," Mr Popescu admits. "The prices are higher than ever. We see this market crunch on a global scale. But we've had support.
The Democrats' plan to pay for President Biden's $3.5 trillion Build Back Better initiative will need to strike the right balance to appeal to progressives without alienating moderates