Slovak PM Robert Fico and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukraine has ceased the transit of Russian natural gas to Europe following the expiration of a pivotal five-year agreement.
This move, effective from January 1, 2025, concludes a longstanding energy arrangement that has been central to Europe’s energy landscape.
The 2019 contract between Ukraine’s Naftogaz and Russia’s Gazprom officially ended on December 31, 2024, effectively cutting off one of the last major routes for Russian gas into Europe.
This pipeline has been transporting approximately 40 billion cubic meters of gas annually to European countries.
NYT reported:
The flow of natural gas from Russia to Europe was cut off early Wednesday after Ukraine refused to renew an agreement that allowed for the transit of Russian gas through its territory, according to officials in both countries.
The move to suspend the flow of gas through a pipeline that had carried Soviet and then Russian gas to Europe for nearly six decades is part of a broader campaign by Ukraine and its Western allies to undermine Moscow’s ability to fund its war effort and limit the Kremlin’s ability to use energy as leverage in Europe.
“This is a historic event,” Ukraine’s energy minister, Herman Galushchenko, said in a statement. “Russia is losing markets, it will suffer financial losses.”
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine vowed last month to shut down the pipeline despite threats of retaliation, including from Slovakia and Hungary, two of the European countries that most depend on Russian gas.
Slovakia, heavily reliant on Russian gas, faces significant supply concerns. Hungary, which has maintained energy ties with Moscow, will continue to receive Russian gas via the TurkStream pipeline through Turkey, though the loss of the Ukrainian route adds pressure to its energy security.
As TGP’s Paul Serran previously reported, Zelensky’s move has caused a side conflict that is expanding, especially with Slovakia.
Slovakia says alternative routes would sharply drive up energy costs, causing it to lose 500 million euros in fees – and that caused President Volodymyr Zelensky to try to ‘bribe’ his counterpart Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico with this amount – provided he accepted Ukraine into NATO, something that Fico will not do.
Earlier this week, Fico responded sharply to criticism from Zelensky, threatening to stop electricity supplies to Ukraine.
Intel Slava reported:
“’I understand that for selfish political reasons the West gives you practically everything you ask for, but I am not your servant who cannot express his own opinion and who is obliged only to help you and not to expect anything from you’, he said.”
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico
So, now, Slovakia is set to enact ‘reciprocal measures’ against Ukraine that may include halting back-up electricity supplies after Jan. 1 if Kiev stops the transit of Russian gas to Slovakia.
Reuters reported:
“Slovakia has been trying to preserve Russian gas deliveries via Ukraine in 2025 although Kyiv has refused to renew a transit deal with Moscow expiring at the end of the year while they remain at war.”
Yesterday (27), In a video message on Facebook, Fico repeated that the stoppage of gas via Ukraine will hit the EU and its competitiveness.
He blamed Zelensky, in another chapter of their public argument in the past week.
“’After Jan. 1, we will assess the situation and the possibilities of reciprocal measures against Ukraine’, Fico said in the video.
‘If it is unavoidable, we will halt the electricity supplies that Ukraine needs during grid outages. Or we will agree on a different course of action’.”
Fico recovered from the shooting in May, and was back trolling the liberals.
Ukraine will cease to allow Russian gas to flow across its territory from Jan. 1, but Slovakia has said the move would not hit its consumption demands.
Slovakia has storage capacities, and gas buyer SPP has contracts for the purchase of gas from a non-Russian source with BP, Shell, Eni and RWE.
“Fico has shifted Slovakia’s foreign policy since taking power just over a year ago, notably by stopping military aid to Ukraine and warming relations with Russia. On Sunday, Fico became only the third EU leader to visit Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow since the war started.
However, Slovakia has also provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine and export diesel fuel and electricity to its neighbor. In January to November this year, Slovakia exported 2.4 million megwatthours of electricity, a 152% year-on-year increase.”
The Slovak prime minister wrote in the caption to his Facebook post:
“1. If someone wants to organize a peace meeting in Slovakia, we will be ready and hospitable.
2. By stopping gas transit, President Zelensky will cause billions of dollars in damage to the EU, including Slovakia, and the EU’s competitiveness will be further reduced.
It seems that the big ones in the EU don’t mind. Mainly that in the name of an unrealistic goal to weaken Russia, the Slavs will continue to bully each other.”
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