Poland welcomes end of Russian gas transit through Ukraine

Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski welcomed Ukraine’s decision to stop Russian gas transit as of 1 January 2025. In a post on X, Sikorski highlighted this as another strategic victory following NATO’s expansion to include Finland and Sweden.

Following Ukraine’s decision, Russia is estimated to lose nearly $6 billion in gas payments, while Ukraine will lose $800 million in transit fees.

“Putin spent billions building Nordstream to circumvent Ukraine and blackmail Eastern Europe with the threat of cutting off gas supplies. Today Ukraine cut off his ability to export gas direct to the EU. Another victory after the enlargement of NATO by Finland and Sweden,” Sikorski wrote.

Putin spent billions building Nordstream to circumvent Ukraine and blackmail Eastern Europe with the threat of cutting off gas supplies. Today Ukraine cut off his ability to export gas direct to the EU.
Another victory after the enlargement of NATO by Finland and Sweden.

— Radek Sikorski (@radeksikorski) January 1, 2025

The move affects several EU states and unrecognized Transnistria. Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico, who had hoped Ukraine would extend the transit agreement or accept a proposal involving Azerbaijani gas, threatened to retaliate by stopping electricity imports from Ukraine. However, the Ukrainian government believes such action would violate EU regulations and would not be implemented.

Ukraine decided not to extend the gas transit contract with Russia’s Gazprom, which expired on 1 January 2025. Several European leaders sympathetic to Russia, who had been receiving large volumes of Russian gas, including Slovakian Fico, tried to persuade Ukraine to extend the deal and even threatened Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but failed to achieve any success.

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