Russian Foreign Ministry: Kiev's statements on the extension of gas transit may pursue political goals
Photo: Konstantin Kokoshkin / Global Look Press
Director of the second department of the CIS countries of the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexei Polishchuk, in an interview with RIA Novosti, named a condition for negotiations on gas transit through Ukraine. According to him, Russia will be ready to consider the issue of extending the contract, when it becomes clear who, in what volumes and under what conditions will buy gas.
The diplomat noted that the issues of Russian gas supplies to the countries of Western and Central Europe and its transit through the territory of Ukraine are exclusively commercial in nature.
For obvious reasons, negotiations on the extension of transit can be conducted only when there is a clear understanding of which of the partners will be ready to purchase Russian gas, in what volumes and on what terms. The topic of transportation is secondary in this case.
Alexey PolishchukDirector of the Second Department of CIS Countries, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia
Polishchuk recalled that the current gas transit contract is valid for another three years – until December 31, 2024, but Kiev's statements about its extension now indicate that it “can only pursue political goals,” the diplomat said.
Fears of Kiev
As the head of the Ukrainian GTS Operator Sergei Makogon said earlier, the Ukrainian authorities fear that this winter Russia may completely stop gas transit, and have begun to prepare for this. According to him, the cessation of supplies of Russian thermal coal to Ukraine, the alleged pulling together of troops on the border of the two countries and blocking of coal supplies from Kazakhstan can be considered signals indicating Moscow's intentions.
After Gazprom refused to book additional capacities for the transit of natural gas through Ukraine in January, Makogon called such actions of the Russian company blackmail “in order to certify Nord Stream 2 as soon as possible.”
In early December, at that time, the future German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced the need to support the pumping of gas through the territory of Ukraine. He promised that the new government of Germany will maintain its position on Ukraine's status as a gas transit country and will adhere to the previous requirements.
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Agreement
Currently, the pumping of Russian gas through the territory of Ukraine is regulated by an agreement concluded for five years until 2024. The agreement provides for the transit of 40 billion cubic meters of fuel annually. The Russian energy company Gazprom pays for capacities in Ukraine, regardless of how much gas it intends to transport.
At the auction on December 20, the Ukrainian gas transmission system operator offered transit capacities for January in the amount of up to 9.8 million cubic meters per day through the Sudzha gas distribution station and up to 5.2 million cubic meters through Sokhranovka. However, they remained unclaimed.
Gazprom also booked only 21.6 percent of the proposed capacity for pumping gas through the Yamal-Europe pipeline through Poland for January. Of the 89.1 million cubic meters per day, only 19.28 million were in demand.
The Kremlin's position
Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov stressed that Moscow will start negotiations with Kiev only after it can sell fuel, and the topic of transportation is secondary. So the Kremlin commented on the statement of the head of the Ukrainian company for the transportation of fuel Naftogaz Yuriy Vitrenko about the unwillingness of the Russian side to negotiate the extension of the contract on gas pumping after 2024. However, Peskov said that the question of starting a dialogue should be addressed to Gazprom.
Until “Gazprom” is determined on this line, then, accordingly, the discussion of the topic of transit is in the second place. The gas must be sold first. This has been repeatedly clarified by President Putin.
Dmitry PeskovOfficial Representative of the Kremlin
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly spoken about Moscow's interest in preserving Ukrainian transit and a possible increase in its volume after 2024.
A key challenge for Kiev
On November 26, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a press conference, during which he named a key challenge for the country. According to him, this is the end of the contract with Russia for gas transit in 2025. According to him, the president's office and the Ministry of Economy are already working on the preparation of a program for thermal modernization and energy efficiency.
At the same time, Zelensky said that Kiev wants to retain the transit of gas from Russia to Europe after the expiration of the current contract with Gazprom. At the same time, the head of the Ukrainian state boasted that in negotiations on the continuation of transit, Kiev had taken a good step by offering a lower price. According to him, Russia did not agree to the proposal.
On November 22, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal also spoke about Kiev's intention to seek an extension of the contract with Russia for 15 years. According to him, Kiev is negotiating on this issue with European partners, “because the extension of this contract also depends on them.”
The current agreements on pumping gas through Ukrainian territory until 2024 with the possibility of prolongation for another ten years were signed in 2019. According to the agreement on the construction of Nord Stream 2, which Germany and the United States reached in July, the supply of Russian gas through the territory of Ukraine should continue after the launch of the new gas pipeline.
