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Did Ukraine Shoot Itself in the Foot by Cutting Off Russian Gas Transit to Europe?

Ukraine's decision to halt the transit of Russian natural gas to Europe, while detrimental to European economies, is also likely to have harmful repercussions for the Ukrainian leadership.

The recent arrival of an Arctic cold front in Europe, which has compelled countries in the region to burn through their fuel reserves more rapidly, combined with the halt of Russian pipeline gas flowing through Ukraine, has already resulted in a spike in gas prices across Europe.

Thus, European powers may become more inclined to seek a diplomatic solution to the Ukrainian conflict and less eager to meet Kiev’s incessant demands for more money and weapons, Forbes suggests.

According to the magazine, Ukraine’s European neighbors “may be less receptive” to Zelensky’s “requests for more military largess if their people are virtually freezing in their homes and their budgets are being eviscerated by massive natural gas cost increases.”