Poland hails Ukraine halting Russian gas exports to Europe as major victory

ATHENS

Poland on Wednesday hailed a decision by Ukraine to halt Russian gas exports via its territory as a major victory.

Putin spent billions building Nordstream to circumvent Ukraine and blackmail Eastern Europe with the threat of cutting off gas supplies. Today Ukraine cut off his ability to export gas direct to the EU," Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski said on X.

"Another victory after the enlargement of NATO by Finland and Sweden." The two countries became members of the military alliance after Russia launched its war on Ukraine in February 2022.

A five-year agreement between Moscow and Kyiv on the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine expired on Wednesday after Kyiv refused to extend the deal.

"When Putin was presented with the Russian presidency more than 25 years ago, the annual gas transit through Ukraine to Europe totaled more than 130 billion cubic meters. Today, it equals 0. This is one of Moscow's biggest defeats," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X.

Ukraine’s Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko described the termination of the deal as a "historic event."