Ronald Reagan’s wish came true this week. The last gas pipeline to Europe from Russia shut down. The 40th president’s political heir, Donald Trump, stands to reap the benefit.

Kyiv has finally turned off Russia’s gas supply to Europe, ending a source of income that helped pay for Moscow’s war against Ukraine. The decades-old deal, which allowed the transit of natural gas produced by Russian energy giant Gazprom through Ukraine, ended at midnight on December 31, shutting down Russia’s last major gas corridor to Europe.

The Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod pipeline was built in the Soviet era to carry Siberian gas to European markets. It became the main conduit to Ukraine’s border with Slovakia from Siberia, passing through the town of Sudzha — which is now under the control of Ukrainian military forces — in Russia’s Kursk region.

As the last of the gas flowing via Ukraine to Europe runs out, Russian gas will no longer be making its way to Europe, marking the end of a decades-long arrangement. Russia had already cut off most supplies through the Baltic and Belarus-Poland pipelines after the Ukraine/Russia war started,

Russia halted gas supplies to Europe after Ukraine declined to renew a transit deal. Slovakia is considering retaliation against Ukraine. While the EU claims no immediate energy crisis, non-EU countries like Moldova face severe shortages and heating issues,

Ukraine ceased the transit of Russian natural gas to Europe following the expiration of a prewar deal from 2024. This significant decision, taken in the interest of national security amid the ongoing conflict,

Gas prices surged to record levels this Thursday, matching the highs of October 2023, after Moscow and Kyiv failed to extend the agreement that allowed Russian gas to transit through Ukraine to several European countries,