“The end of gas deliveries through Ukraine from 1 January was anticipated, and the EU is ready for it,” Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Ikonen told Ukraine’s Ukrinform news agency.
“For more than a year, the Commission, in cooperation with member states, has been preparing for this scenario. The EU’s gas infrastructure has sufficient flexibility to ensure non-Russian gas supplies to Central and Eastern Europe via alternative routes.”
Ukraine halts transit, citing security
Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko announced his country had stopped Russian gas transit on Wednesday, calling it “a historic event.” Russia’s Gazprom confirmed the suspension, effectively ending a five-year transit contract that Kyiv refused to renew on national security grounds.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that cutting off Russian gas flows through Ukraine represents “one of Moscow’s biggest defeats,” saying it has lost “one of the most profitable and geographically accessible markets” due to its own use of energy as a geopolitical weapon.
Slovak concerns
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico criticized the move, warning it could cost Slovakia hundreds of millions of euros. He argued that halting Russian gas transit through Ukraine would hit EU consumers, not Russia, by driving up import costs. Slovakia earns revenue from transiting gas to neighboring countries, including the Czech Republic, and faces rising domestic prices as a result.
Fico also repeated an earlier threat to cut electricity exports to Ukraine should gas transit remain shut off, stressing he aims to maintain a “balanced foreign policy” for Slovakia.
Slovak gas network operator Eustream said it is prepared to ensure supplies for all its customers. State gas company SPP, which had already lined up alternative contracts with suppliers such as BP, Exxon Mobil, Shell, ENI, and RWE, confirmed it can bring in fuel through pipeline connections with Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, and via the TurkStream corridor through Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Hungary.
SPP CEO Vojtech Ferencz noted that importing gas through Poland remains a reserve option, albeit more costly. “We have flexible options in place, and we have been preparing for this possibility for quite some time,” he said.
While Gazprom’s long-term use of Ukraine’s transit routes has ended, EU officials remain optimistic that diversified sources and enhanced infrastructure can offset any supply concerns.
The EC stressed that past measures—such as improving energy efficiency and increasing renewables—have further strengthened Europe’s resilience against external disruptions.
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Source: IAR, PAP