European Commission reveals how Russian gas supplied through Ukraine was replaced

After Ukraine halted the transit of Russian gas to Europe, gas supplies to European Union states have been ensured through alternative routes via Germany and Italy, as well as by withdrawing gas from storage facilities.

Source: extraordinary meeting of the EU Gas Coordination Group on 2 January, as reported by European Pravda with reference to the European Commission’s press service

Details: The European gas infrastructure allowed the replacement of Russian gas previously supplied via Ukraine with gas from pipelines in Germany and Italy, as well as from European gas storage facilities, as reported by the European Commission.

Quote: "Gas supplies have been secured via alternative routes (Germany, Italy) and through withdrawals from storage. The European gas infrastructure is flexible to accommodate gas of non-Russian origin, aligning with the REPowerEU objectives." 

As a result, the European Commission confirmed there will be no gas supply issues in 2025.

Quote: "31 December 2024 marked the end of the Russian gas transit agreement via Ukraine. In an extraordinary meeting of the Gas Coordination Group held today, the Commission and the Member States from the Central and Eastern Europe took stock of the situation… Thanks to efficient preparatory work and coordination in the region and beyond, there are no security of supply concerns." 

More details: The EU’s energy security has also been strengthened by "significant new LNG import capacities since 2022," the European Commission reported.

Specifically, the level of gas storage in EU facilities currently stands at 72%, which is slightly higher than the average level for this time of year, at 69%.

Quote: "The Commission maintains regular monitoring and communication with the Member States and market participants to ensure security of supply to the most affected Member States and avoid speculation."

Background:

• As previously reported, Ukraine ceased the transit of Russian gas on 1 January, which had continued to supply several EU states and the unrecognised Transnistria.
• Moreover, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made it clear that Ukraine is not considering renewing the transit agreement with Gazprom and has stated that Kyiv will not agree to transport Russian gas disguised as Azerbaijani gas.
• Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico sharply criticised Zelenskyy for these actions and sent a letter to EU leaders expressing dissatisfaction with Ukraine's decisions and threatening to halt Slovakia's electricity supplies.

Support UP or become our patron!