Russia sets conditions for the continuation of gas transit through Ukraine
Russia has linked the continuation of gas transit through Ukraine to EU countries with Kyiv implementing a number of conditions. Among other things, the signing of a new agreement depends on the stability of the political situation, said Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in an interview with Luxemburger Wort newspaper, published on Tuesday, March 5th, on the official page of the Russian government.
According to Medvedev, it is also necessary to regulate relations between companies interested in gas transit. For Moscow “profitable economic and commercial parameters of the deal” are essential.
“We are not refusing transit through existing pipelines. Neither the Nord Stream-2 nor the Turkish Stream means that a decision was made in relation to Ukraine or in relation to other countries. In particular, we are ready to keep the transit of gas through the Ukrainian gas transit system even after 2019,” stressed the Russian Prime Minister.
The current transit agreement between Russia and Ukraine expires at the end of 2019. Critics of the Nord Stream-2 pipeline construction fear that after the start of the pipeline’s use, Moscow will refuse to continue gas transit through Ukraine due to the political conflict between the countries. In particular, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel repeatedly expressed that she supports the continuation of gas transit.