The transit of russian gas through the Ukrainian gas transmission system to Europe is unprofitable.
The head of Naftogaz of Ukraine NJSC Oleksii Chernyshov stated this in an interview with Le Figaro.
"Ukraine has always stated that it wants to be a reliable partner for Europe. The only reason for the continuation of the contract with Gazprom was to ensure the energy security of Central European countries, which are very dependent on Russian gas. That is why we continued to supply it to Slovakia. You will be surprised if I tell you that the funds that Naftogaz receives for this transit are less than its cost," he said.
Chernyshov emphasized that the transit contract expires on December 31, 2024 and Ukraine does not intend to conclude a new one.
"To make it easier for you to imagine the scale, I will tell you that this transit is 14 billion cubic meters per year, when Europe consumes about 350 billion cubic meters. So, we're not talking about critical volume. In addition, gas reserves at the end of winter are 65%. I do not foresee a shortage of blue fuel in Europe in 2025, as LNG and other types of gas become more affordable," he noted.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, in March, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said that Ukraine does not plan to extend the transit contract with russian Gazprom after December 31, 2024.
Earlier, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that Ukraine does not plan to negotiate with russia to extend the contract for the transit of russian natural gas after its completion, but if European partners are interested in it, Kyiv is ready to consider options for transit.
In December 2019, Naftogaz of Ukraine, GTS Operator of Ukraine and russian Gazprom signed an agreement on the transit of russian gas to Europe through Ukraine since 2020.
Ukraine and russia agreed that, under a new gas transit contract for 5 years, which can be extended after 2024, the transit volume in 2020 will be 65 billion cubic meters of gas, and in 2021-2024 - 40 billion cubic meters each year.
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