Janice R. Andrews
As of Wednesday morning, Ukraine has ceased allowing Russian gas to flow through its territory to Europe, signaling a major shift in energy supply routes. For years, a pipeline running from Sudzha, a city in Russia’s Kursk region, to Uzhorod in western Ukraine had been crucial for transporting gas, earning significant revenue for both countries.
The 2019 agreement for gas transit was not renewed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who described this move as “one of Moscow’s biggest defeats.”
This action ends a longstanding arrangement in which Ukraine earned millions in transit fees while serving as a vital link to Europe. The decision is expected to heighten energy challenges in Europe, which is already seeking alternatives to Russian gas amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. European nations will now need to find new sources to meet their energy demands.
