Ukraine cuts off Russian gas transit
Russian gas transit through Ukraine will cease on January 1. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated that this will occur at 7:00 AM local time, due to the expiration of the relevant agreement, according to Reuters.
As of January 1, 2025, Ukraine's gas transportation system will only be able to transport non-Russian gas, Shmyhal said, citing sud.ua.
Resuming gas transit to the EU through the Russian pipeline to Ukraine will only be possible at the European Commission's request, and this gas must not originate from Russia.
The Ukrainian Prime Minister also noted that Russian oil transit to the EU through Ukraine continues, as Ukraine is bound by existing agreements.
"According to our Association Agreement and the Energy Charter Treaty, we are obligated to ensure oil transit at the request of European countries. For now, we cannot violate the Association Agreement; therefore, the company continues to fulfill the European side's transit requests. However, we are working to impose 100% sanctions," the media quoted the Ukrainian Prime Minister's speech in the Verkhovna Rada.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy specified that Ukraine will not renew the agreement with Gazprom for Russian gas transit to Europe. He also stated that Kyiv will not agree to transport Russian gas disguised as Azerbaijani gas.
Russian gas transiting through Ukraine also reaches Moldova, specifically the Transnistrian region. While Moldova no longer depends on Russian gas, its right bank heavily relies on electricity generated on the left bank of the Dniester River. Currently, Chisinau sources nearly 90% of its electricity from the Cuciurgan Power Plant. The purchase contract, extended in autumn 2023, expires at the end of this year.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
