Russia Halts Gas Exports To Europe Via Ukraine

(MENAFN- Pajhwok Afghan News) KABUL (Pajhwok): Russian gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine came to an end on Wednesday when a five-year deal between the warring countries expired.

In the wee hours of New Year's Day, Russia halted gas supplies through Ukraine as the warring nations failed to renew the agreement.

The BBC quoted the European Commission as asserting the resilience of the continent's gas system. The EC said it had ample capacity to cope with the end of transit via Ukraine.

Through the TurkStream pipeline across the Black Sea, Russia can still export gas to Hungary, Turkey and Serbia.

The European Commission believes the impact of the export stoppage via Ukraine would be minimised by its cautious planning and supplies from other sources.

Russian gas accounted for less than 10% of the EU's imports in 2023, significantly down from 40% in 2021. But countries like Slovakia and Austria are still dependent on gas imports from Russia.

The halt was expected amid the conflict, which erupted in early 2022. Ukraine has repeatedly said it would not extend the deal.

PAN Monitor/mud

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