Russia halts Ukrainian gas transit as tensions mount
On Wednesday, the Russian company Gazprom announced that it has halted gas exports to Europe through Ukraine starting at 5 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is when the transit agreement for this resource expires.
Russia continues to export gas through the Turkish Stream pipeline, running beneath the Black Sea.
On Wednesday morning, the 5-year agreement between Moscow and Kyiv for gas transit through Ukraine expired. "Due to the repeated and clearly expressed refusal of the Ukrainian side to renew these agreements, Gazprom was deprived of the technical and legal ability to supply gas for transit through the territory of Ukraine from January 1, 2025," Gazprom declared.
Russia halts gas exports through Ukraine
On Wednesday, Ukraine reported that Russian gas transit was halted for national security reasons. "We have stopped the transit of Russian gas, marking a historic event," announced Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.
Zelensky: Russia cannot make profits
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, justifying the decision to halt the transit, said that he does not want Russia to continue earning billions on the blood of Ukrainian citizens.
After the full-scale war of Russia against Ukraine broke out, the European Union made efforts to reduce its dependence on Russian energy carriers by seeking alternative sources.
The halt of gas transit through Ukraine could affect Slovakia, which used to buy Russian resources transported through Ukrainian territory. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico threatened Ukraine on Friday with cutting off electricity supplies if Kyiv fulfils its promises and stops Russian gas transit to his country after the New Year.
