Ukraine has ended the flow of Russian gas to Europe through Ukrainian territory after a transit agreement expired on New Year's Day.
Naftogaz, Ukraine’s state-owned oil and gas company, declined to renew a 2019 deal with its Russian counterpart Gazprom. Russian gas has been transported to Europe via Ukraine since 1991.
“When Putin was handed power in Russia over 25 years ago, the annual gas pumping through Ukraine to Europe stood at over 130 billion cubic metres. Today, the transit of Russian gas is 0. This is one of Moscow's biggest defeats,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ending Russia’s gas transportation route was “in the interests of national security,” according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy. “Ukraine has informed its international partners about this in accordance with the established procedure.”
Russian gas supplies to European Union countries like Germany were halted after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the EU has committed to end its nations’ oil and gas reliance on Russia by 2027. Member nations such as Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria still regularly purchased Russian gas as of 1 January.
“Halting gas transit via Ukraine will have a drastic impact on us all in the EU — but not on the Russian Federation,” said Slovakian President Robert Fico. Fico met with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Christmas to discuss gas supplies.
Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski praised Ukraine’s move, saying: “Putin spent billions building Nordstream to circumvent Ukraine and blackmail Eastern Europe with the threat of cutting off gas supplies. Today Ukraine cut off his ability to export gas direct to the EU.”
Transnistria, a breakaway region of Moldova, lost its heating and hot water supply after the gas agreement expired. Local authorities said the area would temporarily halt these services from 1 January due to a gas shortage.