Ukraine has refuted its readiness to extend the transit of Russian gas

РБК: Kyiv has denied its readiness to extend the contract with Russia for gas transit through the territory of Ukraine.

“The transportation contract expires at the end of this year, we do not intend to negotiate with the Russians and renew the contract, as the Prime Minister of Ukraine informed his Slovak counterpart,” Interfax-Ukraine quoted the government’s press service as saying.

At the same time, the Ukrainian government admitted that Kyiv “can talk with a European country (EU member) about using its gas transportation network.”

Earlier, Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico, after a visit to Ukraine and negotiations with his Ukrainian counterpart Denis Shmygal, assumed the possibility of continuing the transit of Russian gas through the territory of Ukraine in 2025. According to him, coordination of the details of the agreement will be completed in the near future. After this, Slovakia will also be able to continue gas transit, which, according to Fico, “will benefit Austria and Italy,” which receive Russian gas through the territory of this country.

Russia can now supply gas to the countries of Western and Central Europe along a single route - along the transit line through Ukraine. The corresponding contract between Gazprom and Naftogaz expires at the end of 2024. The document provides for pumping 225 billion cubic meters of gas, including 65 billion cubic meters  in 2020 and 40 billion cubic meters each over the next four years. The Ministry of Energy of Ukraine and Naftogaz did not plan to renew the contract, and the current transit was not interrupted due to the gas needs of a number of countries in Europe.