Ukraine stops transit of Russian gas
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Today, on January 1, at 7:00 a.m., Ukraine stopped transporting Russian natural gas through its territory. This decision was made in the interests of national security and was an important step in the fight against energy dependence on Russia.
This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Energy.
A historic step to stop gas transportation
"We have stopped the transit of Russian gas, this is a historic event. Russia is losing markets and will suffer financial losses. Europe has already decided to refuse Russian gas. And the European initiative Repower EU envisages exactly what Ukraine has done today," said Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.
Ukraine has prepared its gas transportation system in advance to operate in the absence of transit. From now on, the infrastructure functions exclusively to meet the domestic needs of Ukrainian consumers.
Herman Halushchenko added that Ukraine has already informed its international partners of its decision in accordance with the established procedure. This step is in line with the European Union's energy security strategy aimed at reducing dependence on Russian gas.
The EU's Repower program, which aims to diversify energy sources and move to renewable resources, is an important component in the transition away from Russian energy resources.
Stopping transit means significant financial losses for Russia, as it loses not only transportation revenues but also access to key European markets. This puts additional pressure on the Russian economy, which is already under the influence of sanctions.
As a reminder, the National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission made a statement regarding changes in gas supply tariffs for households after the termination of transit.
Not all European leaders reacted positively to Ukraine's decision on gas transit. For example, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico warned Ukraine of potential electricity cuts if it fails to ensure gas transit.
