Kiev looks east
Ukraine may have swapped dependence on Russian natural gas for reliance on European supply but diversifying import routes is proving challenging
Having eliminated its dependence on Russian natural gas by switching to supply routed through neighbours in the European Union, Ukraine is now looking for alternative sources to strengthen its energy security and bring down costs. Central Asia's producers are top of Kiev's wish list, but getting hold of the gas won't be easy. Ukraine still acts as a transit route for Russian gas to Europe. But it hasn't imported any for domestic use since late 2015, due to the long-running political hostilities that escalated with Moscow's support for pro-Russian fighters in the east of the country, and the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014. Instead, Kiev has been buying gas through the EU countries it bo
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy
