Russian natural gas
Ukraine stops natural gas transit to Europe
To prevent Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin from filling his war chest, Ukraine is stopping the transit of natural gas across its territory. An EU country has threatened to take countermeasures in this case.
As announced, the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine to Europe has been suspended since morning. The Russian gas company Gazprom announced on New Year’s Day that it had no legal or technical options to pump gas through Ukraine after the leadership in Kiev did not renew the transit contract. The filling has therefore been stopped since 6:00 a.m. (CET). This means that Slovakia will no longer receive Russian gas via this line. The EU and NATO country had threatened Ukraine with consequences for the step.
Kiev decided to do this in order to cut off Russia from further income with which the Kremlin also finances its war of aggression against the neighboring country. The validity of the contract signed on December 30, 2019 expired at 6:00 a.m. (CET), Gazprom said. The Ukrainian side has repeatedly refused to extend the contract, it said.
Slovakia, which borders Ukraine, protested massively against Kiev’s decision. The left-wing populist Prime Minister Robert Fico, whom critics accuse of having a pro-Russian stance, threatened to stop electricity deliveries from Slovakia to Ukraine.
Actually, the Republic of Moldova would also have been affected by the Ukrainian transit stop. However, the Russian gas giant Gazprom had previously decided to stop deliveries to the former Soviet republic, where pro-European and pro-Russian forces are vying for power, because of alleged debts.
dpa
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
