Europe does not need an extension of the contract for the transit of Russian gas through the Ukrainian gas transportation system (GTS). European Commissioner Kadri Simson stated this in a conversation with the Minister of Energy of Ukraine German Galushchenko, according to the website of the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy.
“We have been preparing for the end of this contract for two years, since the manipulations in the gas market began, and we have alternative options to ensure security of supply,” the representative of the European Commission (EC) emphasized.
Simson said that EU countries are working to fill gas storage facilities and diversify supplies. Negotiations between Galushchenko and Simson took place within the framework of the ministerial meeting of the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris.
Earlier, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak confirmed that Gazprom is not negotiating either gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine or its sale on the border with this country. In turn, Bloomberg, citing its own sources, noted that Brussels no longer has any objections to Kyiv’s plans to stop transit.
The change in attitude towards supplies through Ukraine occurred against the backdrop of Europe’s confident passage of the second heating season in a row. In mid-February, a record amount of gas for this date was in storage, while the stock market price of the fuel was at its lowest since last summer.
In January, Galushchenko said that in 2024 Ukraine will be able to stop importing gas and fully provide for itself through its own production.