Ukraine lists terms for ongoing Russian gas shipment to EU
(MENAFN) Ukraine's Prime Minister, Denis Shmigal, has outlined a crucial condition for the continued transit of Russian natural gas through its territory to Western Europe beyond 2024. Shmigal declared that Ukraine would only proceed with the transit if European Union (EU) countries explicitly request it to do so. This announcement comes as the existing transit agreement between Ukraine and Russian energy giant gazprom is set to expire at the end of this year.
For years, Ukraine's extensive gas pipeline network has served as a crucial conduit for transporting Russian Natural gas to European Union markets. However, the uncertainty surrounding the future of this transit has intensified, with the looming expiration of the current agreement. Shmigal, in a news conference on Monday, reiterated Ukraine's stance, emphasizing that there are no intentions to engage in negotiations with Russia or sign a new agreement with Gazprom.
Shmigal highlighted that Ukraine is open to continuing the gas transit if European Union countries collectively express interest in such arrangements. "If European countries act either as a consortium or if any of our European partners wishes to transit their gas, we are ready to provide such a service. The ball is in the court of the European Union and our European partners," stated Shmigal, as quoted by Interfax Ukraine. He also mentioned the possibility of a group of European countries collectively expressing interest in maintaining gas transit through Ukraine.
Ukraine remains a critical route for Russian gas destined for countries like Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, despite the fact that the volume of gas flowing through the transit pipelines has been significantly below the contracted volume since 2022. This decline followed the European Union's imposition of sanctions against Moscow in response to its military operation in Ukraine. Notably, Hungary asserted last week that transit via Ukraine had become obsolete, pointing to an alternative provided by Turkey.
As Ukraine places the decision on continued gas transit in the hands of the European Union and its European partners, the future dynamics of this critical energy route will likely depend on the collective interests and decisions of European nations. The unfolding developments will undoubtedly impact regional energy security and geopolitical relations in the context of ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
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