Ukraine Stops Russian Gas to Europe

Ukraine has put an end to Russian gas exports to European customers. The decision, revealed by Ukraine's energy minister Herman Halushchenko, was made with national security in mind. Halushchenko noted that this move aligns with Europe's plan to phase out Russian gas, causing financial losses for Russia. Russia's gas company, Gazprom, stated that they can't send gas through Ukraine due to Kyiv's refusal to extend their deal. Before the war, Russia supplied nearly 40% of the EU's pipeline gas. After the war started, Russia cut off supplies through some pipelines, causing an energy crisis in Europe. Germany had to spend billions to set up floating terminals for liquefied natural gas. Now, Russia's share of EU pipeline gas is only about 8%. Countries like Austria and Slovakia, which relied on Russian gas, have found new suppliers. However, Moldova, an EU candidate country, will be hard hit. Gazprom plans to stop gas supplies to Moldova from January 1, citing unpaid debts. Politicians from Poland and Slovakia have voiced their opinions. Poland sees this as a victory against Kremlin policies, while Slovakia's prime minister believes this will affect EU countries more than Russia.