Ukraine not to extend Russian gas transit contract after 2024 but ready to agree with EU members

MOSCOW. Jan 25 (Interfax) - Ukraine is not going to extend the contract for Russian gas transit to Europe after 2024, the Ukrainian government's press service told Ukrainian media on Thursday.

"The stance of Ukraine is clear: the transit contract expires at the end of this year, and we are not going to agree with the Russians and extend the contract, which the Ukrainian prime minister has told his Slovak colleague," the press service said.

However, "Ukraine may discuss the use of its gas transmission system with a European nation [an EU member]," it said.

Russian gas transit through the gas transmission system of Ukraine dipped 28.4% (by 5,812.6 million cubic meters) year-on-year to 14,646.6 million cubic meters in 2023, the Transmission System Operator of Ukraine said.

The transit agreement between Naftogaz of Ukraine and Gazprom, the transmission agreement between Naftogaz of Ukraine and the Transmission System Operator of Ukraine, and the inter-operator agreement between the Transmission System Operator of Ukraine and Gazprom were signed on December 30, 2019. The contract envisages annual transit of 40 billion cubic meters of gas in 2021-2024.