According to Sergei Makogon, Moscow has not yet responded to such proposals
Ukraine offers Russia to extend the gas transit contract without waiting for the end of the current one. This was stated by the CEO of the Operator of the GTS of Ukraine, Sergey Makogon, reports TSN.
“As for further steps, we strongly suggest, if there is interest on the part of the American and German sides, to extend the transit contract now without waiting for 2024. There is an opportunity,” he said
According to him, Kiev is ready “even today” to sign an agreement for 10-15 years “with transit volumes of at least 45 billion cubic meters per year”. To the question of whether the Russian side refused such an offer, Makogon replied: “Let’s just say it does not answer.”
RBC sent a request to a representative of Gazprom.
Earlier, on October 22, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine is ready to provide Gazprom with a discount on the transit of natural gas to Europe in order to increase the volume of supplies and ease the energy crisis in the region. According to him, only coordinated actions can stop the crisis, otherwise Europe will face “huge losses”
The current agreement between Russia and Ukraine on gas transit is valid until 2024. It provides for pumping 65 billion cubic meters of gas through its territory last year and 40 billion cubic meters each next year before the expiration of the contract.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that in 2021 the country will exceed its obligations to supply gas through the territory of Ukraine. He also noted that it is economically unprofitable for Gazprom to further increase supplies. At the same time, the press secretary of the head of state Dmitry Peskov clarified that Moscow would be ready to increase transit, provided that European companies increase purchases, and Ukraine will come out with a competitive commercial offer.
This fall, gas prices in Europe have reached record values against the background of a shortage in storage facilities. MEPs suggested that Russia could influence the market in order to speed up the certification of the already completed Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline. Moscow has repeatedly denied these accusations and stressed that it is a purely commercial project. In turn, Zelensky stressed that it is important for Ukraine to get a “clear international legal mechanism that guarantees security” for the country after the launch of the gas pipeline.
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