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Ukraine has halted the flow of Russian natural gas that had been passing through Ukrainian pipelines to buyers in Europe. Russia's Gazprom energy company says it stopped the flow yesterday. By some estimates, it could cost Moscow more than $6 billion a year. NPR's Brian Mann reports from Kyiv.
BRIAN MANN, BYLINE: When Russia launched its full-scale invasion nearly three years ago, Ukrainian officials made a decision to honor a deal with the European Union and Russia, allowing the Gazprom energy firm to pipe gas through Ukraine even while fighting was underway. Oleksandr Kharchenko heads a trade group called the Energy Industry Resource Center, based in Kyiv.
OLEKSANDR KHARCHENKO: Ukraine has some obligations, not in face of Russia, but in face of European countries. Ukraine follow all obligations in this case.
MANN: That deal expired at the end of 2024. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, faced intense diplomatic pressure from a handful of European countries to extend the arrangement with Gazprom. But speaking in mid-December in Brussels through an interpreter, Zelenskyy said no.
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PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: (Through interpreter) We will not prolong the transit of Russian gas. We will not give the possibility of additional billions to be earned on our blood.
MANN: According to Zelenskyy, severing Russia's gas industry from European markets is, quote, "one of Moscow's greatest defeats." A handful of nations, especially Slovakia and a breakaway Russian-backed region of Moldova called Transnistria, still rely heavily on Russian gas. Officials in Transnistria announced this week they'll ration electricity and gas for heating while they scramble to find new sources of energy. Slovakia's prime minister, Robert Fico, who has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, warned of more diplomatic fallout from Ukraine's decision, saying the loss of Russian natural gas will have drastic impact on the European economy. But Kharchenko with the Energy Industry Resource Center says most of Europe found other energy sources after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
KHARCHENKO: Europe has absolutely diversified source of gas for whole Europe - not just for some countries - for everyone.
MANN: Still, Ukraine's decision not to extend the deal highlights the deepening economic fallout from Russia's full-scale invasion. Before the war, Europe and many of its heavy industries thrived on readily available, cheap Russian natural gas. Now, the last of that's been pinched off.
Brian Mann, NPR News, Kyiv.
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