Ukraine Ends Russian Gas Transit Deal, Escalating Energy Strains in Eastern Europe

The expiration of a key gas agreement disrupts supplies to several nations, raising economic and geopolitical tensions across the region.

Ukraine has halted the transit of Russian gas to Europe as a 2019 agreement expires, citing Moscow's invasion as the reason for non-renewal.
Moldova, heavily reliant on Russian energy, declared a state of emergency after Gazprom also ceased direct gas deliveries over a financial dispute.
Slovakia, one of the few EU nations still dependent on Russian gas, criticized Ukraine's decision and threatened to cut electricity exports to Kyiv in retaliation.
The EU, which has diversified its energy sources since 2022, expects limited impact from the cutoff, as gas transiting via Ukraine accounted for only 5% of its imports.
Gas prices in Europe surged to their highest levels in over a year, driven by the supply disruption, cold weather forecasts, and increased reliance on costlier liquefied natural gas.