Ukraine halts Russian gas transit, weakens Putin’s energy leverage over Europe
Photo: Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine has not simply stopped the transit of Russian gas. In doing so, Russia has been deprived of one of its last levers of influence over Europe, according to Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andriy Sybiha.
"Ukraine has cut off more than just Russian gas transit. We have cut off some of Putin’s last remaining leverage over Europe and his use of energy as a weapon," the Foreign Minister stated.
Sybiha is convinced that Europe and the world will be safer without Russian gas, oil, and other dependencies, as well as without Russia itself.
End of Russian gas transit
On January 1, 2025, Ukraine officially ceased the transit of Russian gas to Europe and Moldova. This marked the end of the five-year transit contract between Naftogaz of Ukraine and Gazprom, signed on December 30, 2019.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico threatened to stop electricity supplies to Ukraine if the transit of Russian gas were to be halted. Ukraine called on the European Commission to respond to Fico's threats.
After the cessation of Russian gas supplies through Ukraine to Moldova, heating and hot water were cut off in the unrecognized Transnistria region.
More details about the end of Russian gas transit and the challenges for Europe and Moldova can be found in RBC-Ukraine's report.
