Russia "Discontinues Gas Supply, Weakens European Economic Potential...The beneficiary is the United States".

Russia has claimed that the country's economic potential will weaken as it stops supplying Russian natural gas to Europe using Ukrainian gas pipelines from the new year.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mariya Zakharova said in a statement that the suspension of domestic energy supplies, which are competitive and environmentally friendly, not only weakens Europe's economic potential but is also very negative for European life.

It added that the main beneficiary was the U.S. as the energy market was redistributed due to the suspension of Russian gas supplies to Europe.

Ukraine has maintained a five-year contract with Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom for the use of the Urengoi gas pipeline since the start of the war.

However, it decided not to extend the contract, which expired on the 31st of last month, on the grounds that such gas exports would be covered by Russia's war costs.

As a result, gas supplies to EU member states such as the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia and Moldova will be affected.

An EU Commission spokesperson said the impact of the end of gas transit through Ukraine on EU energy supply security was limited and stressed that it was ready to work with member states to deal with it.