“Shmyhal emphasized that the agreement between Ukraine and Russia on gas transit expires on January 1, 2025 and will not be extended”, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
“If the European Commission officially appeals to Ukraine regarding the transit of any gas, except for Russian gas, we will of course discuss it and be ready to implement relevant agreements based on the principles of energy security, both of the entire EU and of each European nation,” the head of the Ukrainian government wrote in telegram
He emphasized that the agreement between Ukraine and Russia on gas transit expires on January 1, 2025 and will not be extended.
“At the level of the entire European Union and in cooperation with EU countries, quite a lot has been done over the past years to ensure a reliable supply of gas and to prevent the use of any type of energy as a weapon, which for decades has been a common practice for Russia in relations with neighboring countries and the European Union “, the message says.
Shmyhal added that sanctions pressure against the Russian energy sector should be continued, as it is “one of the key elements of forcing Russia to real peace.”
In October, during a joint press conference with the head of the government of Slovakia, Robert Fico, Denys Shmyhal already stated that Ukraine will not extend the agreement with Russia on the transit of energy carriers after its expiration.
In February, Kadri Simson, the European commissioner for energy, said in a commentary to Radio Liberty that the European Union is not interested in extending the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine after the tripartite contract expires.
A five-year contract for the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine to Europe was signed in 2019. The main buyers are still Slovakia and Austria.