The Kremlin announced that it will stop oil and gas exports to Poland, a key ally of Ukraine through which much of the material and supplies being sent by western governments flows to those fighting the Russian invasion, Bloomberg reports.
The ban is a major escalation for Russia, cutting off one of its top customers for natural gas and oil. The Russian state-owned Gazprom energy company sent nearly 10% of its exports to Poland in 2020, making Poland its seventh-largest customer.
Poland has sent military and economic support to the Zelenskyy regime in Kyiv, and it has acted as a conduit of supplies, armaments and material though its southeastern border with Ukraine. The cutoff of petroleum products will cause a significant increase in fuel prices in Poland, with a ripple effect throughout the European Union.