Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are still connected to Russia's electricity grid, but that's going to change soon in another sign of their confidence in the EU. With the move they turn the page on their Soviet past.

Nearly 3 1/2 decades after leaving the Soviet Union, the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania this weekend will flip a switch to end electricity-grid connections to neighboring Russia and Belarus — and turn to their European Union allies.

The President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, emphasized that provocations cannot be ruled out regarding the planned disconnection of the Baltic countries from the Russian-Belarusian power grid. Consequently,

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia will disconnect from the Russian power grid on Saturday, severing Soviet-era energy ties with their neighbor to the east. A countdown clock in Lithuania's capital, Vilnius,