The termination of Russian gas transit through Ukraine was not of fundamental importance to Europe, while Russia’s loss of pricing influence was a significant setback for Moscow.
This was stated in an interview with Ukrinform by Václav Bartuška, Special Envoy for Energy Security at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.
The diplomat stated that this issue is not a concern for the Czech Republic or Europe as a whole.
He described this as “fantastic” given that, before the full-scale war, Russian gas accounted for 40% of all gas consumption in the European Union (140-145 billion cubic meters), and by the end of 2022, this figure had fallen to “single digits” (about 15 billion cubic meters, supplied through Slovakia, Hungary, or Bulgaria).
Bartuška said that it is only now that we can fully appreciate what a huge step Europe took in 2022. After that, there were only four countries with long-term contracts with Russia that received gas through Ukraine: Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, and Bulgaria. Austria refused this source after arbitration and secured a share of the Gate LNG terminal in Rotterdam; Bulgaria and Hungary ensured gas transit through Turkey, while Slovakia will need to find a solution to this issue.
The diplomat also focused on such an important aspect as pricing. Currently, he said, natural gas prices are mainly determined by Qatar, the United States, and Australia.
“Russia has no influence since 2022. They have lost it. I believe this is one of the biggest losses for them… It’s painful (for Russians), they have lost their pricing power,” he said.
As reported, Ukraine stopped the transit of Russian gas to the EU on January 1, 2025.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that his government would discuss measures in response to Ukraine’s halt of Russian gas transit through its territory to Slovakia.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that Fico was making a mistake by choosing Russia over the United States and other partners who can supply his country with gas on commercial terms. He emphasized, “American LNG must be paid for with money, but Russian gas comes at a cost not only of money but also of independence and sovereignty”.
Source: End of Russian gas transit through Ukraine had no impact on EU - Czech MFA envoy
