Ukraine is not going to extend the gas transit contract with Russia after 2024, as it is an aggressor country, but technically, transit through the domestic gas transportation system (GTS) to Europe is possible without a relevant agreement between Kyiv and Moscow.
This is stated in the material of "Apostrophe".
A five-year contract between NJSC "Naftogaz of Ukraine" and Russian "Gazprom" on gas transportation from Russia to the EU was signed on December 30, 2019. It expires at the end of this year and can be extended by agreement of the parties. However, Ukraine has clearly stated that it will neither extend the current contract nor sign a new one.
However, gas transit through our country's territory after 2024 is possible.
"The conclusion of agreements between European gas companies and "Gazprom" is the option that will allow to maintain the supply of Russian gas to Europe, while depriving Ukraine of the need to sign any agreements with Russia," Mykhailo Honchar, President of the Center for Global Studies "Strategy XXI", told "Apostrophe".
According to Volodymyr Omelchenko, Director of Energy Programs at the Razumkov Center, in order to continue the transit of Russian gas to Europe, the Ukrainian GTS could theoretically implement a scheme in which EU countries, buying gas from Russia, would sign a transportation contract with Ukraine.
"However, this would require moving the point of sale from the EU-Ukraine border to the Ukrainian-Russian border, which would take time and money," the expert said in an interview with the publication.
Earlier we reported that Ukraine is negotiating with the EU on the transit of Russian gas after 2024.