“The main European importers of Russian gas, Slovakia and Austria, have already secured alternative supply routes”, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
The reduction took place a day before the expiration of the agreement on the transit of gas through Ukraine, from January 1, the supply of gas will stop completely. Kyiv previously refused to negotiate on the extension of the transit contract. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that it is impossible to conclude a new agreement at the beginning of 2025.
According to the official Russian news agency TASS, on December 31, Gazprom pumped 37.2 million cubic meters of gas through Ukraine, on December 30 this figure reached 42.4 million cubic meters.
The main European importers of Russian gas, Slovakia and Austria, have already secured alternative supply routes. Stopping transit through Ukraine, according to analysts, will deal the biggest blow to Moldova, but the overall impact on the gas market will be minimal.
At the same time, the cessation of supply has significant geopolitical significance, Reuters notes. Since 2022, EU countries have been actively reducing their dependence on Russian gas, increasing supplies from the USA, Norway and Qatar. This led to Russia losing its leading position on the European gas market.