Ukraine has just terminated a contract for transporting Russian gas through its territory, causing great impacts on the European economy and making the US the main beneficiary, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
By refusing to extend the contract with Gazprom after 2024, Kiev not only cuts off the flow of Russian gas to countries such as Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia, but also loses itself nearly $1 billion in transportation fees per year.
The US is the biggest beneficiary of the redistribution of the energy market in Europe, and is also the main sponsor of the Ukrainian crisis, RT quoted Zakharova as saying on January 2.
This move, she said, is part of Washington's strategy to dominate Europe. "The first victim is Europe's largest economy, Germany," she stressed, referring to the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline bombing that forced Germany to buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States at much higher prices, causing great damage to the country's industries.
Currently, other EU countries will also pay a heavy price for US support, Zakharova said, stressing that European governments have sacrificed the prosperity of their people to serve the interests of the US economy.
Ukraine's gas blockade, despite Gazprom fulfilling its contractual obligations and paying fees, has pushed European energy prices to a more than year's high and sent the euro to its lowest level against the US dollar since November 2022.
Although Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico warned of serious consequences from Ukraines decision, some officials such as Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski see it as a new victory after NATO expansion.
Meanwhile, Kiev has seen the termination of the contract as a historic event to deprive Russias traditional market. But the price is not only the domestic economic downturn but also widespread anger in European countries - who now face a more expensive winter than ever.
