Vienna could be about to get its first far-right leader since World War II. Europe’s mainstream sees trouble brewing.

In the first trading day after Ukraine ceased the flow of Russian gas and oil, benchmark natural gas prices in Europe surged 4%.

Austria has insisted it is well prepared for the stoppage, but Slovakia has threatened to cut electricity supplies to neighboring Ukraine.

Ukraine has declared that it is ready to replace Hungary in the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) should Budapest prefer to join Russian-led blocs. The statement was released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on Wednesday.

Ukraine won its first World Cup luge medal in more than 16 years. The country’s relay team — singles sliders Yulianna Tunytska and Andriy Mandziy, along with Ihor Hoi and Nazarii Kachmar on one doubles sled, Olena Stetskiy and Oleksandra Mokh on the other — finished third in a race at Sigulda, Latvia.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20 having criticized continued U.S. military aid for Ukraine's fight against Russia. This may shift the onus on support for Kyiv to fall on other allies, particularly in Europe, where a changing political leadership since his election could complicate matters.

The Freedom Party and its leader, Herbert Kickl, have steadily built support by demonizing immigrants, while entering Austria’s political mainstream.

Austria’s Freedom Party, which is starting talks to lead the government, opposes sanctions on Russia and the EU’s support for Ukraine.

Austria headed on Sunday towards coalition talks led by the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) after efforts to form a centrist government without the FPO fell apart and prompted Chancellor Karl Nehammer to resign.

Austria should not face supply disruption as it has prepared for the switch from eastern supplies of natural gas to western alternatives after Ukraine's contract with Gazprom expires on Tuesday, Austria's energy regulator E-Control said.

Austrian oil and gas company OMV has finalised an agreement to supply natural gas from its Neptun Deep project in the Black Sea to German energy company Uniper, starting in 2027, reported Reuters, citing three people familiar with the matter.

Residents of Kyiv are panicking! At the rate that Vladimir Putin’s unstoppable military juggernaut is capturing Ukrainian territory, their city will fall into Russian hands in only 92 years. Just in time to celebrate the Russian dictator’s 165th birthday!