Russian gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine suspended

Moscow: Russia has suspended natural gas supplies to several European countries via Ukraine.

This was after Ukraine refused to renew a transit agreement.

Russia and Ukraine had previously signed a five-year transit agreement to supply natural gas to European countries, which expired on January 1, 2025.

Ukraine said that this transit agreement will not be renewed because it is in an ongoing military conflict with Russia.

Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko said in a statement that they have stopped the supply of Russian gas.

He stated, “This is a historic moment. Russia is losing its markets and will face financial losses. Europe has already decided to abandon Russian gas”.

Russian energy company Gazprom has also confirmed that gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine have been suspended after the transit agreement expired.

The statement issued by the company said: “Gazprom has been unable to supply gas to Ukraine since January 1, 2025 due to Ukraine's refusal to renew the contract”.

Russia supplies gas to several European regions, including Slovakia, Hungary, and Moldova, via Ukraine.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico also visited Russia last week in this regard.

He said on December 27 that if gas supplies were stopped, his government could take various measures against Ukraine, such as cutting off electricity supplies.

He stated that the suspension of Russian gas supplies would have a severe impact on European Union countries, but would not affect Russia.

But the situation is more serious in Moldova, which borders Ukraine and had imposed a 60-day state of emergency there even before the gas supply was suspended.

Russia is still selling natural gas to various countries through a pipeline that runs through the Black Sea.

Hungary receives most of its Russian gas through the Black Sea pipeline and Ukraine’s decision will not have much impact on it.

It is pertinent to note that Russian gas has been supplied to Europe through pipelines from Ukraine since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.