Since the beginning of this year, Russian Gazprom has resumed natural gas supply to Romania through the Ukrainian gas transit system, Ukrainian state gas transit operator TSOUA said on Wednesday. In the first 5 days, more than 18 million cubic meters were delivered through the Orlovka-Isakcha point.
It's worth noting that Russia's Gazprom suspended gas transit to Romania via Ukraine in April last year and had since supplied gas via the Turkish pipeline.
The Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine said in a report a total of 152 million cubic meters of gas would be transported to Romania in January.
The resumption of the transportation of Russian gas through the territory of our country can be considered a sign that Gazprom recognized that it needs the Ukrainian GTS to realize its interests in the European gas market. Thus, the right strategy for all is to maintain constant transit.
At the same time, the volumes of the transit will depend on the customer states and the terms of use of the GTS, because the market defines pricing conditions.
It should be remembered that the alternative way to supply gas from Russia to Romania is the Turkish Stream. Despite its length and limited capacity compared to our GTS, European countries may prefer the Turkish Stream as it offers attractive price conditions.
The Ukrainian GTS operators should take advantage of the current situation to maintain transit even with a slight decrease in profits. This may require the support of the government and diplomats. Achieving clear transit agreements would allow Ukraine to focus on the modernization of the GTS and other important tasks.
Earlier we wrote that since January 1, 2022, Russian Gazprom has reduced gas transit through Ukraine to Slovakia by 41%.
Kyiv has accused Russia of cutting gas supplies via Ukraine to drive up prices and put pressure on the European Union to certify another pipeline - Nord Stream 2, which is ready to pump Russian gas to Europe bypassing Ukraine.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin has denied that Russia has sought to inflate prices and says Nord Stream 2 can help to calm markets by increasing supplies.