Russia and Ukraine Cease Gas Transit to Europe After 50 Years
Russia has halted gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine, impacting energy security and prices across the region amid ongoing tensions.
Russia, Ukraine, Gas Transit, Europe, Energy Crisis, Slovakia, Hungary
Kyiv: So, Russia has officially stopped sending gas to Europe through Ukraine. This route has been in operation for 50 years, but things have changed. Ukraine decided not to let any gas flow that would help fund Russia’s war efforts.
Both countries confirmed the halt, which happened right after a key transit deal expired. This is a big deal for central European countries that relied on this gas. Now, they’ll have to find more expensive alternatives, which is not great news, especially with winter coming up.
Even though Ukraine has been a major route for gas deliveries, it only accounts for about 5% of Europe’s needs. Still, the energy crisis from Russia’s invasion has left many countries scrambling. Gas prices have already shot up over 50% compared to last year.
Gazprom, Russia’s gas giant, stopped supplies on New Year’s Day, saying there were no “technical and legal opportunities” to keep the flow going. Ukraine’s Energy Ministry confirmed that the gas stopped flowing at 7 a.m. local time, and Slovakia’s network operator also said they weren’t receiving any gas.
This situation really highlights how much the EU still depends on Russian gas, even though they’ve been trying to cut back. Some countries are looking for alternatives, but so far, no solid agreements have come through.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has set a goal to phase out Russian fossil fuels by 2027. However, countries like Slovakia and Hungary are pushing hard to keep the gas flowing, which is causing some tension.
Experts like Jonathan Stern from the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies say they saw this coming. The real question now is whether countries like Slovakia can strike a deal to keep getting some gas.
With the global gas market tightening, Europe is feeling the heat. Prices are at their highest in over a year, and Ukrainian President Zelenskiy has made it clear he won’t allow any deals that would send money to Russia while the war is ongoing.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has even threatened to cut off electricity to Ukraine, raising concerns about energy security in the region. He’s been urging the EU to step in, warning that the economic fallout could hit European consumers hard.
In the meantime, Slovakia and other central European countries have been trying to find discounted gas from the east. They’re racing to build support for alternatives to the old Russia-Ukraine deal.
The European Commission has been preparing for this situation for over a year. They’ve been diversifying their gas supplies, looking more towards liquefied natural gas imports, especially from the U.S.
Poland, which is taking over the EU presidency, is in close contact with the commission and ready to coordinate further steps if needed. Past disputes between Russia and Ukraine have disrupted gas supplies before, but the ongoing war makes a quick resolution seem unlikely.
In the past, there have been significant disruptions, like in 2009 when gas flows stopped for almost two weeks during freezing temperatures. But with the current situation, it looks like we’re in for a rough ride.
Russia still supplies gas to some countries like Serbia and Hungary through a different pipeline, but it’s not enough to make up for the loss of the Ukraine route. Other routes are also closed, and the Nord Stream pipeline has been damaged.
So, it’s a complicated mess, and it seems like we’re just going to have to wait and see how this all plays out.