BRUSSELS, March 6. /TASS/. Ending Russian gas transit through Ukrainian territory in 2025 would benefit the European Commission by providing additional opportunities to exert pressure on Hungary and Slovakia, which continue to receive this fuel, a diplomatic source in Brussels told TASS.
"The largest losses from the termination of Ukrainian transit will be incurred by Hungary and Slovakia, which currently receive Russian pipeline gas (paying for it in rubles - TASS). Beginning in 2025, the European Commission proposes to give these countries the option to switch to liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies from Germany or Italy. This will dramatically increase gas prices in these nations and boost Brussels' power to put economic pressure on them," the source said.
The Brussels EU institutions believe Hungary and Slovakia's policies are "excessively pro-Russian." The question of economic pressure on Hungary was widely discussed before to the EU summit on February 1. In particular, it authorized a 50 bln-euro budget support mechanism for Ukraine through 2027, which Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban opposed.
According to the diplomatic source, Brussels is currently "implementing a project for common purchases of liquefied natural gas by EU countries, which have already begun to be carried out on a platform controlled by the European Commission." "Thus, cutting off alternative supplies will only strengthen Brussels' control over the EU's energy sector," the source said.
"Stopping or reducing supplies of Russian pipeline gas to the EU also corresponds to the goals of the European Commission, which in 2022 set the task of completely abandoning all supplies of gas and other hydrocarbon energy carriers from Russia by 2027," the source added.
The source noted that there is an additional possibility for supplying Russian gas through Ukraine - without an interstate agreement, a European company can purchase Russian gas on the Ukrainian-Russian border. However, this will also result in growing expenses, weakening Slovakia and Hungary's position.
"If a ‘flexible transit’ is used, when a European supplier will purchase Russian gas on the border of Ukraine and Russia and independently pay for its transit through Ukraine, this will also lead to increased costs and a weakening of the economic positions of Slovakia and Hungary," the source noted.
Earlier, Politico reported that Ukraine currently supplies up to 5% of all EU gas imports, with Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria being the primary beneficiaries. In 2021, Russian shipments accounted for approximately 45% of total EU gas imports.
At the same time, EU countries' purchases of Russian liquefied natural gas rose by 40% in the last two years, compared to 2021. Purchases of Russian LNG are currently not subject to any EU restrictions.