Poland ended its 1993 intergovernmental agreement with Russia to receive Russian gas via the Yamal pipeline. The decision comes after Warsaw rejected a demand to pay for the fuel in roubles and Moscow responded by cutting off supplies in April.
Poland’s Climate Minister Anna Moskwa wrote on Twitter that Russia’s aggression in Ukraine has confirmed the Polish government’s determination to become completely independent from Russian gas.
“We always knew that Gazprom was not a reliable partner,” wrote the Polish Climate Minister.
The minister told the PAP news agency that the Polish government had passed a decision to terminate the 1993 intergovernmental agreement on Russian gas supplies and gas transit on 13 May. The decision will also be announced to Russia in the form of a diplomatic note today.
“The decision was a natural step after Russia cut off gas supplies to Poland in April,” Ms Moskwa explained. “By interrupting deliveries, Russia has in fact violated the terms of the contract, as a result of which the Polish government has concluded that the agreement has become invalid,” said the Minister.
Poland has already confirmed that it did not plan to extend the supply contract that had been due to expire at the end of this year. In 2019, Poland’s PGNiG informed Gazprom that it doesn’t plan to renew the deal.
Piotr Naimski, Poland’s Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure confirmed that after 30 years gas relations between Poland and Russia will cease to exist.
