German Chancellor Angela Merkel tried to soothe fears over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline on Saturday, on a farewell visit to Poland. This was stated during her joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
Russia's five-year gas transit deal with Ukraine expires after 2024. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Ukraine must show goodwill if it wants to continue.
According to the German Chancellor, Ukraine will remain a transit country for Russian gas after 2024.
"I made clear that it is our concern that Ukraine will remain a transit land for Russian gas," Merkel said during a joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
Morawiecki said making sure gas still transits through Ukraine despite the introduction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline will lower the chance of "blackmail" from Russia.
It's worth noting that Russia's Gazprom said on Friday it had finished construction of the pipeline, located in the Baltic Sea, which could allow it to bypass political foe Ukraine, cutting off a source of billions of dollars in gas transit fees for Kyiv.