Ukraine will not extend the transit contract with Gazprom after 2024 – Kommersant

Ukraine will keep the transit of Russian gas until the end of 2024, but will not renew the agreement with Gazprom. This was stated by the former head of the Austrian oil and gas company OMV Gerhard Reuss after a conversation with an unnamed deputy energy minister of Ukraine.

“I asked him whether it is possible to proceed from the extension of the agreement? He said an unequivocal “no,” said Mr. Reuss in broadcast TV channel ORF. In his opinion, the Austrians should prepare for this.

Gerhard Reuss is exploring alternative sources of gas on behalf of the Austrian Energy Minister Leonora Gewessler. Together with the former head of E-Control, Walter Bolz, they are developing a plan to stop using Russian gas. Over the past year, Austria has managed to reduce its imports, but the figures are still above the EU average.

The agreement itself, which Mr. Reuss spoke about, was signed at the end of 2019. Ukraine has agreed with Gazprom on the transit of Russian gas to Europe until December 31, 2024. According to the document, Ukraine was losing the status of the main transit country for Gazprom, becoming equal with Poland and Turkey.

Note that earlier Zelensky’s office offered ban Russian gas supplies bypassing Ukraine. Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak and former US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul developed a plan that proposed to ban EU countries from buying Russian gas if its supplies bypassed Ukraine.

At the beginning of this year, Gazprom significantly reduced the volume of deliveries through Ukraine, but then restored them to almost last year’s level of 40-43 million cubic meters. m. per day. on May 31 gas pumping amounted to 40.5 million cubic meters m. per day.