Gazprom was put "on the counter" in Romania

Romanian Transgaz continues arbitration proceedings with Gazprom and charges interest on the amount that, according to the operator, the Russian company owes him as part of the agreement to terminate the historic gas transit contract — through Romania to Turkey. Meanwhile, Russian gas supplies to and through the country continue, as customers are already European traders.

According to the Romanian GTS operator in its annual report, Gazprom's debt to the company has grown to 170.46 million lei ($39.2 million). Judging by the previous quarterly report, in three months the amount has increased by almost $ 1 million in three months.

The debt itself concerns the amount of compensation that Gazprom has pledged to pay as part of the termination of the long-term gas transit contract. The Russian company launched the Turkish Stream and supplies through Ukraine and Romania to Turkey were no longer needed. At the end of 2020, the companies signed an agreement on reimbursement until December 31, 2023, while simultaneously providing Gazprom with the capacity of Romania's GTS for gas transit. He was now going from Bulgaria through Romania to Hungary or Romania itself.

However, as Transgaz points out, Gazprom stopped payments after October 2022 and the Romanian operator began proceedings in the courts. The company believes that receiving funds is unlikely and applies a new model of expected losses.

The Romanian operator publishes data on which Gazprom's debt increased from $35.8 million at the end of 2024 to $39.2 million at the end of 2025.

"The category of transit receivables includes accounts issued on the basis of an agreement to terminate a historic contract after October 2022, which were not paid to Gazprom Export LLC, and on this occasion Transgaz has initiated legal proceedings necessary to recover the debt," the report says.

Meanwhile, Russian gas supplies to and through Romania are continuing. So, according to ENTSOG, in 2025, Romania received 3.9 billion cubic meters of Russian gas from Bulgaria. Part of it was submitted to Hungary, Moldova and Ukraine.

The deputy director of the National Energy Security Fund (NWF) EADaily previously noted that now the transportation of Russian gas is ordered and paid for by European traders. Therefore, there are no restrictions.

At the same time, the suspension of Gazprom Export payments to the Romanian operator may be related to the regime of mutual restrictions between EU and Russia, the deputy director of the FNEB assumed.