International-News

Gas crisis between Russia and Ukraine: supplies to Europe disrupted

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Published

12 mesi ago

2 Gennaio 2025

Bre-news

The suspension of Russian gas supplies through Ukraine exacerbates the economic conflict and changes the energy balance in Europe

The truce on gas supplies from Russia to Europe, which was maintained despite the war in Ukraine, has been interrupted. To date, Ukrainian pipelines have continued to transit Russian gas to the West, while payments for energy have continued to flow into Moscow’s coffers. This fragile balance, dictated by mutual economic convenience, has now broken down, marking a new chapter in the economic war parallel to the military conflict.

The strategic importance of gas

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, energy has become a crucial battleground. Western sanctions aimed at isolating Russia, weakening it economically and making the war effort unsustainable. However, Moscow managed to mitigate the effects of the sanctions by further opening its markets to partners such as China, India and North Korea. At the same time, the West had to maintain some economic ties, especially in the energy sector, to avoid an immediate shock.

A turning point in the gas war

The disruption of gas supplies through Ukraine marks an important turning point. This event could have significant consequences on two fronts: for Russia, the economic contribution from the energy sector is further reduced, exacerbating the domestic economic crisis already characterised by high inflation and industrial production mainly linked to the war. For Europe, the interruption of Russian gas poses new challenges, especially for those countries that still depended on these supplies to fuel their economies.

International reactions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the gas interruption as ‘one of Moscow’s greatest defeats’, while Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, accused the United States and the Ukrainian government of being responsible for the situation. Meanwhile, in Europe, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico emphasised the impact this disruption will have on the European Union, while Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski saw the event as a ‘new victory’ for the West, following NATO’s expansion with Finland and Sweden.

The gas war brings back memories of the months following the start of the Russian invasion and could accelerate the search for a solution to the conflict, although it is still too early to predict the timing and conditions of a possible peace agreement.

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