The future of gas transit through Ukraine is at a turning point. If a last-minute deal isn’t struck by Wednesday, billions of cubic meters in gas flows could come to a halt.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced on Dec. 27 that his government will evaluate potential reciprocal measures against Ukraine, including halting electricity supplies, if Ukraine stops the transit of Russian gas to Slovakia after January 1.

In a recent escalation, Russia launched 60 drones targeting various regions across Ukraine overnight. Ukrainian air defense successfully downed 36 of these drones, while 23 were neutralized through electronic warfare measures;