Kiev refuses to negotiate Russian gas transit. German Galushchenko: "Ukraine is able to guarantee the security of supply for Europe"
Ukraine has refused to negotiate with Russia to extend the gas transit contract with European countries, said Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko, according to the Russian newspaper Izvestia and the Ukrainian publication Strana, Hotnews.ro reports.
"We will certainly not be part of the negotiations with the Russians. (...) I believe that next year will be an indicator of Europe's ability to operate without any Russian gas," said German Galushchenko.
At the same time, Galushchenko said that Russia could terminate the contract at any time, as the agreement depends on the Russian side.
The minister added that Ukraine can play an important role in ensuring the stability of the European gas market this winter.
European companies continue to store gas in Ukraine's gas storage facilities, and he believes that this trend will only intensify.
"Ukraine is able to guarantee the security of supply for Europe, and this is important," the Kiev energy minister also said.
The current five-year contract between Russia's Gazprom and Ukraine's Naftogaz was signed at the end of 2019. Deliveries began on January 1, 2020. This contract expires at the end of 2024.
Under the terms of the agreement, Gazprom must pump a minimum of 225 billion cubic metres of gas through Ukraine in the five years.: 65 billion cubic metres in 2020 and 40 billion cubic metres of gas in the other four years.
On June 22, the main analyst of the Russian National Energy Security Fund (NESF), Igor Iushkov, said that the termination of Russian gas transit through Ukraine is possible before the expiration of the contract until 2024. He explained that the parties have high claims against each other.
On the same day, Galushchenko said in an interview with the Financial Times that Russian gas supplies through Ukraine could stop in 2024, when the transit contract with Gazprom expires.
According to him, the chances of Moscow and Kiev agreeing to extend the five-year transit contract are slim, even if European politicians will mediate in the negotiations.
