Kyiv, Jan 1 (IANS) – Ukraine announced on Wednesday that it has halted the transit of Russian natural gas to Europe following the expiration of a five-year transportation agreement. The Ukrainian Energy Ministry confirmed in a statement that gas transit ceased at 07:00 am (0500 GMT) “in the interests of national security.”
The Ministry also stated that international partners had been notified of the termination of the gas transit, following established protocols. To ensure the continued supply of gas to its own consumers, Ukraine’s gas transportation system was prepared to operate in a zero transit mode, the statement added.
Earlier, Russian energy giant Gazprom confirmed that it had stopped gas supply for transit through Ukraine, citing the expiration of critical agreements and Ukraine’s refusal to renew them. The agreements, which had been signed on December 30, 2019, included a contract for the transportation of Russian gas through Ukrainian territory between Gazprom and Ukraine’s Naftogaz, as well as a cooperation agreement between the gas transmission system operators of both countries. These agreements expired at 8 am Moscow time (0500 GMT) on Wednesday, as reported by Gazprom on Telegram.
Gazprom stated that Ukraine had repeatedly refused to extend the agreements, leaving it without the technical and legal foundation to continue the gas transit. As a result, the supply of Russian gas through Ukrainian territory was officially stopped at the designated time.
In 2024, Ukraine had transported 15.43 billion cubic meters of Russian gas to Europe, a 5.7 percent increase from the previous year. The suspension of gas transit has raised concerns among European nations dependent on Russian gas.
Russia had previously warned of the growing challenges in gas transit, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noting that the situation requires careful attention. At a December 23 meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Moscow, discussions centered on the potential impact of Ukraine’s refusal to extend the transit deal.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier stated that Ukraine would not extend its five-year gas transportation deal, which was due to expire at the end of 2024. This decision has sparked concerns in Slovakia, which holds a long-term contract with Gazprom. While Putin expressed Russia’s willingness to continue gas supplies to the West and Slovakia, Fico voiced doubts that this would be feasible without a transit agreement in place.
The resumption of gas transit would only be possible at the request of the European Commission and under the condition that Ukraine transports non-Russian gas, according to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine in December.
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