Russian natural gas shipments to Europe are scheduled to stop Wednesday, marking the end of a 5-year deal between Ukraine’s Naftogaz and Russia’s Gazprom due to expire.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine would not permit Russia to “earn additional billions from our people’s suffering” and had allotted the EU one year for preparation.
Since Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, the EU has substantially decreased its imports of gas from Russia; however, some eastern member states continue to rely heavily on these supplies, placing Russia in a position to earn approximately €5 billion annually.
The European Commission described Europe’s gas system as “resilient and flexible”, noting it has sufficient capacity to handle the cessation of pipeline transit via Ukraine.
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Some European Union countries, including Slovakia and Austria, are still purchasing large quantities of gas from Russia.
Austria’s energy regulator stated it does not anticipate any supply disruptions, citing its diversified sources and increased reserve stocks.
Ukraine’s decision has sparked significant diplomatic backlash from Slovakia, a key entry point for Russian gas into the European Union, which profits from transporting the gas to Austria, Hungary, and Italy.
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Mr. Zelensky accused him of assisting Mr. Putin in financing the war and undermining Ukraine’s strength.
“Slovakia is being pulled into Russia’s efforts to exacerbate the suffering of people in Ukraine,” the Ukrainian president stated.
Poland has pledged to support Kyiv with electricity should Slovakia halt its exports, which are vital to Ukraine, where power plants frequently suffer from Russian strikes.
Moldova, which is outside the EU, might suffer significantly from the impeding termination of the transit agreement. The agreement supplies natural gas to a power plant, which accounts for a substantial majority of the country’s electricity requirements. It also fuels a power plant for the Russian-backed breakaway region of Transnistria, a small, landlocked territory situated between Moldova and Ukraine.
Moldova’s Energy Minister, Constantin Borosan, stated that the government has implemented measures to guarantee a stable supply of power to the country and is urging citizens to conserve energy. Since mid-December, a 60-day state of emergency in the energy sector has been in effect in Moldova.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu claims the Kremlin is engaging in “blackmail” to destabilize her country ahead of a scheduled general election in 2025. The Moldovan government stated that it has also extended an offer of assistance to Transnistria.
Russia has supplied natural gas to Europe via Ukraine since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
With its reduced reliance on Russian gas, the European Union has now turned to other sources, including liquefied natural gas from Qatar and the US as well as gas piped directly from Norway.
Once the Ukrainian transit route is severed, the TurkStream in the Black Sea – which supplies Turkey, Hungary, and Serbia – will be the sole Russian conduit for gas deliveries to European nations.
The proposed project, when realised, will allow European Union member states to totally rely on alternative routes for the transit of gas, in place of current Ukrainian routes.
Under the European Union’s emergency plans, countries affected will receive gas from Greece, Turkey, and Romania via the Trans-Balkan pipeline, while gas from Norway will flow through Poland. Additional supplies will also reach central Europe via Germany.
