The first victims of the new phase of the gas crisis are the residents of pro-Russian Transnistria, while Slovakia and Hungary may also face difficulties. However, the issue does not stop there. The potential halting of Russian gas transit through the Ukrainian pipeline could become a bargaining chip in discussions about Ukraine's future and a

President Zelenskiy has hailed the transit halt as "one of Moscow's biggest defeats" and urged greater US gas exports to Europe.

Russian gas exports via Soviet-era pipelines running through Ukraine came to a halt on New Year's Day, marking the end of decades of Moscow's dominance over Europe's energy markets.