Key information
- Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has announced that the country will not extend its gas transit agreement with Russia in 2024.
- The move aims to limit Russia’s energy revenues, which kyiv says are financing the ongoing war.
- Mr Shmyhal urged European nations to completely abandon oil and gas imports from Russia.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal recently announced that his country will not extend its gas transit agreement with Russia when it expires in 2024. The decision was made public during a joint press conference with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico .
Shmyhal said the move was part of Ukraine’s broader strategy to limit Russian energy revenues, which kyiv says are used to finance the ongoing war. He stressed the importance of imposing sanctions on Russian gas and depriving the Kremlin of profits from hydrocarbon sales.
Impact on Europe
Failure to renew the transit agreement, which allows Russian gas to be transported to Europe through Ukrainian pipelines, could have a significant impact on Europe’s energy landscape, particularly for countries dependent on still heavily in Russian supplies. Mr Shmyhal urged European nations to completely abandon oil and gas imports from Russia, calling for a united front against Russia’s energy exports.
He acknowledged that some countries, such as Slovakia and Hungary, face difficulties due to their dependence on Russian gas. However, he expressed confidence in a gradual diversification of energy sources for these countries.
Ukraine’s commitment
Despite Ukraine’s decision not to renew the transit agreement, Mr. Shmyhal reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment to fulfilling its international obligations under agreements such as the Association Agreement with the European Union and the Energy Charter Treaty. This commitment has been called into question recently due to Ukraine’s blockage of the Russian “Friendship” pipeline, which supplies oil to Slovakia, Hungary and Czechoslovakia.
This action threatened to cause an energy crisis in Central and Eastern Europe, prompting those countries to call on Ukraine to reverse its decision. Ukraine’s actions have also drawn criticism from Hungarian officials, who believe Ukraine is punishing them for supporting peace and undermining their energy security.
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