Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on January 1 that the end of natural gas supplies to Europe via a major pipeline traversing Ukraine is a major defeat for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
When Putin became president of Russia more than 25 years ago, the amount of natural gas transiting through Ukraine to Europe annually totaled more than 130 billion cubic meters, Zelenskiy said on X. Now it is zero, he said.
"This is one of Moscow's biggest defeats. As a result of Russia weaponizing energy and resorting to cynical blackmail of partners, Moscow lost one of the most profitable and geographically accessible markets,” he said.
Zelenskiy's comments came after Russian state gas giant Gazprom said that it had suspended gas supplies to Europe via the pipeline after Kyiv refused to renew a transit contract signed before Moscow’s all-out invasion in 2022.
The stoppage means Ukraine will forego around $800 million a year in transit fees. Gazprom, meanwhile, will lose out on nearly $5 billion in gas sales.
Zelenskiy said the majority of European countries had adjusted to the changes but noted that Ukraine and its allies must “support Moldova during the energy transformation period.” Moldova is still partially dependent on Russian gas.
He also said Ukraine hopes for an increased U.S. gas supply to Europe, saying that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who is set to be inaugurated on January 20, had already mentioned this possibility.
“The more gas available on the market from Europe's true partners, the sooner the last remaining consequences of Europe's reliance on Russia will be eliminated,” he said.
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The stoppage, announced by Gazprom early on January 1 on Telegram, was expected after Ukraine had repeatedly said it would not renew the contract. It was not expected to cause major immediate problems for most European customers due to a yearslong effort by many countries to wean themselves off Russian gas.
Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, and several Balkan countries had continued to use Russian gas shipped via Ukraine, though in smaller volumes.
Challenges In Moldova
Moldova, however, was more at risk, due to a major power plant that is fueled by Russian gas. Moldovan officials had declared a state of emergency last month in anticipation of the transit contract between Moscow and Kyiv expiring.
The Transnistrian Regional Power Plant, located in the breakaway region of Transdniestr, began shutting down early on January 1, and its operator, Tirasteploenergo, said it was cutting central heating and hot water supplies to all households and administrative buildings in Transdniestr except for hospitals.
Residents of the region were told where they could buy firewood and coal and were permitted to collect tree trunks, fallen branches, and other dry wood from forests for personal use, but must inform the forestry authorities in advance.
Residents have access to electricity from the power plant, but it is unclear how long it will last. Authorities in the breakaway region said this could be about 50 days, based on the supply of coal. However, estimates from officials at the Energy Ministry in Chisinau say it would be closer to 20 days.
Soviet-Era Pipeline
The Ukrainian Energy Ministry said the flow of Russian natural gas through the territory of Ukraine was stopped for national security reasons and it had informed its international partners about the move.
"We have stopped the transit of Russian gas, this is a historical event," Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said in a statement. "Russia is losing its markets, it will suffer financial losses."
The Soviet-era pipeline, which brought gas from Siberia to the Russia border town of Sudzha then into Ukraine, was the last major pipeline for Russian gas to Europe in operation following the destruction of the undersea Nord Stream pipeline in late 2022.
The Yamal-Europe pipeline, which brought gas to Poland via Belarus, has also been shut due to the Ukraine invasion launched in February 2022.
SEE ALSO: After Getting The Red Card From UEFA, Gazprom Is Getting Back In The Sports Sponsorship GameMany European customers have turned to alternative sources, including liquefied natural gas provided by the United States and Qatar and from Norway.
Austria's Energy Ministry said its supplies were guaranteed thanks to purchases made for gas flowing through Italy and Germany and earlier efforts to fill up storage containers.
Hungary and other countries continue to receive Russian gas from the south via the Black Sea TurkStream pipeline.
Fico Visit
Slovakia, whose prime minister, Robert Fico, made an unusual visit to Moscow last month, was also not expected to see any shortages, though officials said alternate supplies would cost an extra 177 million euros ($184 million).
In a statement released hours after gas stopped flowing, Fico predicted the move would have "dramatic consequences for all of us in the European Union" but not for Russia.
"Regardless of whether two elephants love each other or fight against each other it's the grass that invariably gets hurt," he said.
He added that he did not want Slovakia to be "that grass" and for this reason he would continue building a "dual-track" foreign policy toward the EU and Russia simultaneously and would "not interfere in the internal affairs of others."
In his post on X, Zelenskiy referred to the “hysteria of some European politicians who prefer mafia-style schemes with Moscow to transparent energy policy” but did not refer to Fico by name.
Zelenskiy last week was outraged when Fico met with Putin and subsequently threatened to cut off Ukraine's emergency power supply during the winter months over Kyiv's decision not to renew the pipeline contract.
Zelenskiy accused Fico of taking "orders" from the Kremlin to harm Ukraine and his own people while Russia attacks Ukrainian power plants and its energy grid.