Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Monday that the gas transit deal with Russia which is set to expire on January 1, 2025, will not be extended, stressing that Moscow is using energy exports to finance the "criminal war" against his country.
In a conversation with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, Shmyhal reiterated Kiev's commitment to act as the guarantor of Europe's energy security and the "uninterrupted supply of natural gas in winter." He greeted the 15th EU sanctions package against Russia announced earlier today and called on the bloc to continue to exert pressure on Moscow by targeting its energy sector revenue.
Russia continued to export natural gas to European countries via its pipelines in Ukraine even after the beginning of the conflict in 2022. Countries such as Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, and Moldova import Russian gas from Ukraine and could potentially be affected if the transit stops.
