A five-year agreement between Moscow and Kyiv for the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine ended on Wednesday, as Ukraine declined to extend the deal amidst the ongoing conflict between the two nations.
Gazprom, the Russian energy giant, stated on Telegram, “Due to the repeated and explicit refusal of the Ukrainian side to extend these agreements, Gazprom was left without the technical and legal ability to continue supplying gas for transit through Ukraine’s territory as of January 1, 2025.”
The deal, originally signed in December 2019 between Gazprom and Ukraine’s state oil and gas company Naftogaz, officially expired at 8 a.m. Moscow time (0500GMT), according to Gazprom’s statement.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Energy Ministry announced that halting the transit of Russian gas was a decision made “in the interests of national security.” Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko called the termination of the deal a “historic event,” emphasizing its impact on Russia.
“Russia is losing markets and will face financial losses. Europe has already committed to phasing out Russian gas. The European Repower EU initiative aligns perfectly with Ukraine’s actions today,” Halushchenko added.
