Shmygal: Kyiv does not want negotiations with Russia on extending gas transit to Europe
Ukraine does not want to negotiate with Russia on extending the gas transit agreement to Europe. This was stated by the Prime Minister of the Republic Denis Shmygal.
“We are not going to negotiate, continue and sign the agreement,” he said.
The country's authorities have discussed this issue with the countries of the European Union (EU) and are ready to negotiate only with them in the future. Otherwise, Ukraine intends to use the gas pipeline for its own purposes.
Ukraine may continue transit of Russian gas if requested by the European Union
As Shmygal noted, Ukraine is ready to provide such a service if European countries act as a consortium or if one of the European partners acts as a transit country for their gas. The gas transportation system of Ukraine, if desired, can be used without the transit of Russian gas, he emphasized.
The question is how, in this case, Russian gas will get to Europe, because many alternative routes are now blocked, and the European Union has repeatedly mentioned the dangerous consequences of refusing Russian gas.
Norwegian parliament member Marius Arion Nielsen said that the refusal of gas from Russia has already negatively affected the climate and transferred the energy crisis from Europe to the poor countries of the world.
“Since the war in Ukraine began, the EU has been emptying the global liquefied gas (LNG) market to cover the loss of Russian pipeline gas. This increases the world's CO2 emissions and transfers the energy problem from the EU to the world's poor countries. As a result, energy prices have risen sharply, and energy poverty and air emissions have increased,” Nielsen explained.
In addition, if the transit agreement between Russia and Ukraine is terminated, gas prices in European countries may rise, and the EU will lose about five percent of imports. This is how the European Commission assessed the risks.
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Russia has announced its readiness to supply gas to Europe through a different route.
If the Ukrainian authorities do not extend the gas transit agreement, Russia will find other ways to supply it to European countries, but this requires a desire on the part of Europe. Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Alexander Novak stated this at the Energy Day within the framework of the Russia forum-exhibition.
We are always ready to continue gas supplies to Europe, and not only along the route that is currently in effect until the end of 2024. If the other side wishes to continue, we are ready to discuss these issues. So far we don’t see such a desire
Currently, fuel deliveries to the countries of Western and Central Europe go through only one of the points – along the transit line through Ukraine. The Turkish Stream gas pipeline carries supplies through Turkey to Hungary and Serbia. The remaining routes were somehow disrupted or disabled.
The agreement signed between Russia and Ukraine expires this year. The press service of the Ukrainian government previously stated that the country is not going to “negotiate with the Russians and renew the contract.”
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