John Kirby. Photo: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
Washington welcomes Kyiv’s decision to cut off Russian gas transit to Europe, which will cause Russia billions of dollars in losses, White House adviser John Kirby said during a briefing on 8 January.
Losses for Russia
Kirby estimates that this decision will deprive Moscow of approximately $6.5 billion in annual revenue from gas exports through Ukrainian territory.
“This is one of the biggest and most costly defeats for Moscow,” the White House adviser said.
He noted that since Vladimir Putin came to power 25 years ago, gas transit through Ukraine had reached more than 130 billion cubic metres per year. Today, this volume is zero, which is a serious blow to the Russian economy.
US reaction and European support
Kirby emphasised that the US supports this decision of Ukraine and is working to provide Europe with energy resources. According to him, 50% of Europe’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports currently come from the US.
American partners are actively cooperating with European countries to minimise dependence on Russian gas. This has become a key strategic step in the context of the sanctions policy against the Kremlin.
Ukraine’s decision to stop transit was part of a broader effort to put economic pressure on Russia. Amid the energy crisis in Europe, the United States is increasing LNG supplies to strengthen the energy security of its allies.
This decision by Kyiv, supported by Washington, poses a serious challenge to Russia, limiting its influence in the region and reducing its energy export revenues.
