Russia says North Macedonia cuts gas imports for political reasons
Theo TASS
Russia's ambassador to North Macedonia says the country has reduced Russian gas imports since 2022 for political reasons despite negative economic consequences. The share of Russian gas in the market fell from 99% in 2021 to 47% in 2025.
Russia's ambassador to Skopje, Dmitry Zykov, in his first interview with TASS on May 3, said North Macedonia has reduced Russian gas imports since 2022 for political reasons, despite the negative impact on its own economic interests.
Zykov stressed: “The issue of abandoning Russian gas imports is not about technical ability to find alternative sources or cost efficiency — it is entirely a political question. Will this Balkan nation blindly follow EU policy, abandoning Russian gas by 2027? North Macedonia, as its foreign policy has shown since 2022, is willing to act against its own economic interests.”
According to the Russian ambassador, the share of Russian gas in total gas supply to the North Macedonian market fell from 99% in 2021 to 77% in 2024 and to just 47% in 2025. From the second half of 2024, gas from the UAE began replacing Russian supply, accounting for 39% of the market by the end of last year.
