**Ukraine Cuts Off Russian Gas Transit to Europe**
The Ukrainian government has made a big move against Russia. Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, says this decision makes Europe and the world safer.
On January 1st, Ukraine stopped transporting Russian gas through its country to Europe. This was announced by Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko. He said that national security interests were behind this decision.
Ukraine’s move is expected to affect countries like Slovakia and Austria, which get a lot of their gas from Russia. These countries might face shortages or price increases. But the EU has already been preparing for this situation. They have increased imports of liquefied natural gas from other places like Qatar and the United States.
**What Does This Mean?**
This is a big deal because it means Russia will lose money and influence over Europe. Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, said that by stopping Russian gas transit, they have cut off some of Putin’s last remaining powers over Europe.