KIEV, October 6. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky on Thursday warned that the country may soon stop supplying electricity to Europe.
He said Ukraine supplies Europe with cheap electricity, but "at some point" it will stop that in order to get through the winter.
"We won't have enough to heat our homes. And that time is approaching," he said in a video address to Australian officials, political scientists and experts at an event hosted by the Lowy Institute, an Australian think tank. "We talk all the time about the risk of blackouts. It could be days, weeks."
Zelensky said on March 16 that Ukraine completed the integration of its energy system with that of Europe. On April 29, he said that he wanted to trade Ukrainian electricity for natural gas. He said Ukraine generates a large amount of nuclear power, so Kiev could sell electricity at low prices.
This past summer Zelensky warned that Ukraine will have to endure the most difficult winter in the country’s history and planned to halt exports of gas and coal. Naftogaz CEO Yury Vitrenko said temperature in apartments would be 17-18 degrees Celsius, which is 4 degrees below the standard, and advised people to stock up on blankets and warm clothes.