Russia stops gas exports via Ukraine to Europe
The transit agreement has expired, according to Gazprom. Gas exports from Russia via Ukraine have been stopped as of 08:00 Moscow Time (0500 GMT).
The closure of Russia's longest gas route to Europe brings an end to a decade-long fraught relationship sparked by Russia s 2014 seizure Crimea.
The TurkStream pipeline, which runs along the Black Sea bed, is still used by Russia to export gas.
After the start of the conflict in Ukraine, in 2022, the European Union increased its efforts in order to reduce its dependency on Russian energy by looking for alternative sources.
The gas transit agreement between Russia and Ukraine, which lasted five years, expired on Jan. 1, 2025. Kyiv has said repeatedly that it will not extend the deal amid the war.
Gazprom announced in a Telegram message that "Gazprom has been deprived of its technical and legal capability to supply gas to transit through Ukraine as of January 1, 2025" due to the Ukrainians' repeated and clear refusal to renew the agreements.
"As of 08:00 Moscow Time, Russian gas will not be supplied for transportation across the Ukrainian territory." (Reporting and editing by Neil Fullick: Vladimir Soldatkin)
(source: Reuters)
