Poland has terminated its agreement with Russia on the Yamal gas pipeline to reduce its dependence on Russian gas, the Polish Climate Minister Anna Moskwa posted on Twitter on Monday, May 23, 2022.

“Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has confirmed the accuracy of the Polish government’s determination to become completely independent from Russian gas. We also knew that Gazprom was not a reliable partner,” said Moskwa.

Termination of the contract was expected after Russia halted gas supplies to Poland in April after Warsaw declined Moscow’s demands to pay for gas in roubles, a move that Moskwa termed as a breach of contract.

While speaking to PAP newswire, the Minister said the contract termination does not affect gas supply from Germany via the pipeline operated by the Polish entity. However, Warsaw has made it clear that it would not extend the long-term contract to expire at the end of 2022.

PGNiG, a Polish gas company, informed Gazprom that it would be terminating the agreement on its expiration date.

Using the Pipeline for a Reverse Supply from Germany

While speaking to public radio on Monday, May 23, Poland’s Minister for Energy Security Piotr Naimski said the government decided to terminate the contract on supplies of Russian gas on May 13.

The Polish section of the Yamal pipeline linking Russia with Western Europe is owned jointly by Gazprom and PGNiG. However, the section is operated by Gaz-System, a Polish state-owned gas company.

Moskwa insists that any contract with Russia that breaches European law ought not to be no longer in place. The Minister also told PAP that the Yamal pipeline’s operation complied with the European law, allowing the pipeline to be used for reverse gas supplies from Germany to Poland.

Poland has been obtaining its gas from Germany using reverse supplies and an alternative gas supply route since Russia halted supplies.