In a recent announcement, Ukraine has declared its decision to halt the transit of Russian gas to Europe starting from 1 January 2025. Mykhailo Podolyak, senior advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, confirmed this development, stating that Ukraine is open to the idea of transiting gas from other nations like Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, but this would require logistical arrangements.

During an interview with Ukrainian news outlet Noviny Live, Podolyak explained that Ukraine's transit role in relation to these alternative gas suppliers would be assessed and defined separately. The move to diversify gas sources is aimed at reducing dependence on Russian gas and establishing Ukraine as a key player in the European energy market.

Initially, it was stated by Podolyak that Ukraine would also terminate the transit of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline from 1 January 2025. However, this statement was later retracted, with Podolyak clarifying that Ukraine will honor its contractual obligations until the end of 2029. This means Ukraine will continue to facilitate the transit of oil in accordance with the existing agreement.

In October, Oleksiy Chernyshov, the head of Ukraine's national oil and gas company Naftogaz, had announced that the current contract with Russia's Gazprom, signed in 2019, would not be extended. The decision was prompted by the needs of European Union countries for Russian gas and was not influenced by potential legal disputes with Gazprom.

The contract between Naftogaz and Gazprom is set to expire on 31 December. Under the terms of the agreement, Russia has committed to exporting 225 billion cubic meters of gas over a five-year period and paying Ukraine for the transit services provided.

The move by Ukraine reflects its efforts to assert its energy independence and position itself as a reliable transit country. By diversifying its gas sources, Ukraine aims to enhance its own energy security while ensuring the stability of gas supplies to its European counterparts.