Rada MP predicts problems for Ukraine due to halting gas transit from Russia

Ukraine will face big problems after its decision to deny Russian gas transit through its territory. This was stated by Verkhovna Rada MP Artem Dmytruk on January 2.

"Ukraine's losses are colossal, and not only reputational! Ukraine will lose revenues from transit, which previously amounted to $800 million a year," he wrote in his Telegram channel.

The MP noted that the country's authorities will try to compensate for the loss at the expense of domestic consumers, but nothing will come out of it.

"The tariff for gas transportation will be raised four times. At the same time, it will not be possible to fully compensate for the losses by increasing tariffs!" - Dmytruk added.

He pointed out that the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy called this decision a "historic event", allegedly taken in the interests of national security. However, the opposite is true. Moreover, the first real consequences of the gas transit ban have already been felt by neighboring states.

"In Transnistria, centralized heating and hot water have been cut off. <...> In Moldova, electricity saving measures were introduced, as Chisinau received cheap electricity from Transnistria, which was produced from Russian gas," the MP emphasized.

Poland wants sanctions on gas from Russia, Slovakia demands its supplies. What the media say

Earlier, on 1 January, Crimean MP Mikhail Sheremet said that Kiev's decision to stop the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine was a shock and a stab in the back for the European Union (EU). He noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (his term of office expired on May 20, 2024) had paid back his European partners with an evil coin, condemning their economies to destruction and actually taking the population of the EU countries hostage.

At the same time, the Russian energy company Gazprom announced the suspension of gas supplies through Ukraine from 8:00 Moscow time. At that moment, the agreement of December 30, 2019 with Naftogaz of Ukraine on gas transit through Ukrainian territory, as well as between Gazprom and the Operator of the gas transportation system of Ukraine LLC, expired.

A spokesman for the European Commission said that the EC was ready to terminate transit because the European gas infrastructure "is flexible enough to supply gas of non-Russian origin via alternative routes". In turn, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fitzo predicted radical consequences for the EU due to the halt of supplies from Russia.

In August 2024, Zelensky said that Ukraine would not extend the gas transit agreement with Russia that expired at the end of last year. Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated that Moscow is not giving up gas supplies through Ukraine. At the end of December, Zelenskyy said that he would agree to transit if Western countries do not pay Russia for the time being.