"Ukraine has stopped allowing Russian gas to pass through to European countries, impacting both the Kremlin and EU states reliant on this energy supply. The expiration of the 2019 gas transit deal on January 1 will cost Gazprom approximately £5 billion annually, affecting Russia's economy. European countries like Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia now face energy shortages as the only remaining routes from Russia are through the TurkStream and BlueStream pipelines. Ukrainian President Zelensky called the move a significant defeat for Moscow, while Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico expressed concerns about the drastic impact on the EU."