Germany Not Planning To Mediate Issue Of Russian Gas Transit Through Ukraine
(MENAFN- UkrinForm) Berlin is not trying to mediate between Kyiv and Moscow on the issue of Russian gas transit.
German Economics Ministry spokesperson Susanne Ungrad said this at a briefing on Monday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.
"Now, after the start of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, a completely different situation has developed. At that time, the negotiations discussed transit fees (for gas transit through Ukraine) and various other aspects, in particular, whether gas transit to Europe would continue. Now this is purely a matter of Ukraine," she said.
According to Ungrad, Germany is negotiating with other European countries and the European Commission on how to guarantee the security of energy supply in Europe, as well as on how to support Ukraine. Currently, there is a negotiation situation that concerns Ukraine and Russia, but primarily Ukraine, she added.
"This is a problem that must be resolved between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Germany is ready and will be ready for any of their decisions," Ungrad said.
German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit, in turn, said he could not say whether or not this topic was discussed during the one-on-one talks between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Frankfurt last Friday.
"This topic has not been discussed yet," he said.
The spokespersons were asked whether Germany plans to act as a mediator in the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia regarding the transit of Russian gas to Europe, as Berlin did earlier, before a full-scale war started.
Both of them declined to say whether Germany was interested in continuing the transit.
The gas transit contract was extended for five years in Berlin on December 30, 2019. It expires at the end of this year. Ukraine does not plan to extend the document. At the same time, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin said that Russia did not refuse to continue the transit.
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