Ukraine announced on Wednesday that Russian gas can no longer be transported to Europe through its territory. The Ukrainian Ministry of Energy stated that the decision was made following the expiration of a transit agreement on the last day of 2024. The ministry emphasized that this move is a response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, aiming to deprive Moscow of revenue generated through this route.
In a recent statement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it a historic step. He added that European countries are now meeting their energy needs with assistance from the United States and Norway, while Russia is gradually losing its energy markets.
Previously, Russia exported natural gas to Europe via the Baltic Sea, Belarus, Poland, and Ukraine. However, following the onset of the war in 2022, Russia deliberately halted gas flows through the Baltic, Belarusian, and Polish pipelines, citing a demand for payments in rubles.
This decision triggered an energy crisis in Europe, which was mitigated by the U.S. and Norway supplying the necessary gas to European nations. Until now, approximately 130 billion cubic meters of gas were still being transported to Europe via Ukraine annually. However, Ukraine’s refusal to renew the agreement has now put an end to this transit as well.
European Union officials have stated that plans were already underway to address the shift. It is expected that within the next two years, Europe will no longer be reliant on Russian gas.
