Ukraine will stop sending Russian natural gas to the West from 2025. The head of the Ukrainian state energy company Naftogaz, Oleksiy Chernyshov, said this in an interview with the North American international broadcaster Radio Liberty. The transit contract with Russian company Gazprom will expire at the end of 2024. Ukraine would also withdraw early, especially since Gazprom was not paying for the transit as agreed, Chernyshov said. Austria gets around two-thirds of its gas from Russia and Ukraine.
Ukraine is already limited to transit because several European countries still depend on Russian gas. “We also want to be a reliable partner for our European partners, for the countries that need it”, stated the CEO. Ukraine has increased its own gas production. This means that next winter you will have the chance to cover your needs for the first time with your own reserves, Chernyschow said. Ukrainian media cited the Sunday interview.
The transit of Russian natural gas through Ukraine continues despite Moscow’s war of aggression against the neighboring country. The recipients are mainly landlocked countries that cannot switch to liquefied natural gas (LNG), including Austria. The EU’s goal is to stop importing fossil energy from Russia from 2027.