In many European cities the thermometers were between zero and minus five degrees Celsius in the first days of the year. Heating became essential, but once again politics, in the service of foreign interests, would interrupt the circulation of safe and cheap gas coming from Russia, passing through Ukraine.
The subordination of the European governments to Washington's decisions, as part of the plan against Russia, and of the big arms business in Ukraine, affects the life of the European citizens, as it makes it difficult to mitigate the cold due to the lack of heating or the high cost of electricity.
A few hours after the shutdown of the tap, which transported no less than 40 billion cubic meters of gas per year, some of the world's media warned that Europe was once again sanctioning its peoples by accepting measures that would supposedly harm Russia.
Let us recall that, the U.S. sanctions policy against Moscow was joined by European governments, which even added to Washington's military aid, millions of dollars to "entrench Kiev, before Trump assumes power this January 20".
"The responsibility for the disruption of Russian gas supplies lies entirely with the United States, Kiev and the authorities of European states that sacrificed the welfare of their citizens in exchange for American support," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman María Zakharova said in a statement.
Ukraine's transit network is connected to the pipeline systems of Moldova, Romania, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, and then to those of Austria and Italy. The country most affected by Ukraine's decision will be Slovakia, as it relies on Russian supplies to ensure the flow of about two-thirds of demand, according to the RT website.
Moldova generates much of its electricity at a Russian gas-fired power plant, and will have to reduce its consumption. The measure also affected Transnistria, a self-proclaimed Moldovan republic, where heating and hot water have already been cut off, reported Sputnik.
In general, the European Union is highly dependent on Russian gas imports, which in 2023 reached 85%.
In this regard, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has assured that the interruption of gas transit through Ukraine will have a "drastic" impact on all EU countries, but not on Russia. "That is why I will continue to pursue a consistent policy oriented towards all four sides of the world," the head of the Slovak government said.
Meanwhile, in an open letter sent to the EU leaders days before the cessation of supplies, Fico warned that the suspension would increase gas prices across the bloc, which would translate into an additional annual cost in 10 billion euros for EU households and infrastructure.
As for Russia's potential losses, they would amount to about 2 billion euros, or only about 3% of all losses caused to the 27 EU member states.
