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On 1 January, Ukraine stopped the transit of Russian natural gas through its territory. This was reported by the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, stressing that this decision was made in the interests of national security.
Solution details
- Official announcement: Transit was suspended at 07:00 am Kyiv time. Ukraine informed its international partners of this decision in advance.
- Readiness for change: The infrastructure of the Ukrainian gas transmission system was prepared in advance to operate in a zero-transit mode, which allows for reliable gas supplies to Ukrainian consumers.
Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said:
“This is a historic event. Russia is losing markets and suffering financial losses. Europe has already decided to refuse Russian gas, and the Repower EU initiative supports our actions.”
Russian Gazprom has confirmed the suspension of transit through Ukraine. The company noted:
- Reason: Ukraine’s refusal to extend the agreement, which expired on 1 January 2025.
- Shutdown time: Gas supply was cut off at 08:00 Moscow time.
The European Commission has declared in advance that it is ready to stop the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine. The EU is confident that its infrastructure is flexible enough to ensure gas supplies via alternative routes to Central and Eastern Europe.
- Ukraine’s energy independence: Stopping the transit of Russian gas symbolises an important step towards energy sovereignty.
- A financial blow to Russia: The loss of gas transit revenues will have long-term consequences for the Russian economy.
- Strengthening European security: Europe is demonstrating its readiness for change by reducing its dependence on Russian energy.
