In 2023, Russian gas accounted for less than 10% of gas imports to the EU. according to the numbers from the blackout, externalcompared to 40% in 2021.
But several EU members, including Slovakia and Austria, continue to import significant volumes of gas from Russia.
Austria’s energy regulator said it does not foresee supply disruptions as it has diversified sources and accumulated reserves.
But Ukraine’s decision has already caused serious tension with Slovakia, which is now the main entry point for Russian gas to the EU and earns transit fees from gas deliveries to Austria, Hungary and Italy.
On Friday, the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico – who just did unexpected visit to Moscow for negotiations with the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin – threatened to stop the supply of electricity to Ukraine.
This prompted Zelensky to accuse him of helping Putin “finance the war and weaken Ukraine.”
“Fico involves Slovakia in Russia’s attempts to cause more suffering to Ukrainians,” the Ukrainian president said.
Poland has offered to support Kiev if Slovakia stops exporting electricity – supplies that are crucial to Ukraine, whose power plants are regularly attacked by Russia.
Moldova, which is not part of the EU, could be seriously affected by the end of the transit agreement. The gas fed the power plant from which Moldova supplies most of its electricity needs. It also supplied the Russian-backed separatist region of Transnistria, a small sliver of land sandwiched between Moldova and Ukraine.
The Minister of Energy of Moldova, Constantin Barasan, said that the government has taken measures to ensure a stable electricity supply in the country, but urged citizens to save energy. Since mid-December, a state of emergency in the energy sector has been in force for 60 days in Moldova.
President Maia Sandu has accused the Kremlin of “blackmail” that may be aimed at destabilizing her country ahead of a 2025 general election. The Moldovan government also said it had offered aid to Transnistria.
