Part 5/9:
However, as of the start of 2025, Ukraine has opted to halt the gas transit. As European reliance on Russian gas has dramatically decreased—from 140 billion cubic meters at the war's beginning to an expected 15 billion in 2025—the implications for Russia's already weak economy are significant. With high inflation, dwindling resources, and increasingly high supply costs, Ukraine’s withdrawal from the gas transit business targets Russia's economic needs at a crucial time, potentially exacerbating its resource crises.
This strategy, however, is not without its risks for Ukraine, which faces its own economic difficulties. The gamble rests on the notion that the loss of revenue will hurt Russia more than it impacts Ukraine's immediate needs.