Russia and the European Union said they hoped on Thursday 13 June that the next trilateral negotiations (Russia, EU and Ukraine) on the transit of Russian gas to Europe via Ukrainian territory will resume "in the second half" of September, following the Ukrainian parliamentary elections scheduled for this summer.
“Russia is ready to continue the transit of gas through Ukraine and to ensure gas supplies to European consumers. We are ready to extend the contract on existing terms”, said Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak after a meeting in Moscow with Commission Vice-President for the Energy Union, Maroš Šefčovič.
The transit agreement between Russia and Ukraine expires at the end of 2019 and the two countries cannot agree on what to do next. “We believe that we do not need a plan B (...), because we have always found good constructive solutions", stressed the European Commissioner.
Moscow hopes that “the new Ukrainian authorities will be able to demonstrate a pragmatic approach to continuing transit through their territory after 2019”, Novak said on Thursday.
The executive director of the Ukrainian gas company Naftogaz, Yuriy Vitrenko, immediately reacted to Novak's remarks, accusing Moscow of delaying the talks.
At the end of 2019, two gas pipelines - the German-Russian Nord Stream 2 and the Turkish-Russian Turkish Stream - bypassing Ukrainian territory are expected to enter into service, which would deprive Kiev of a substantial financial means and a significant weapon against Russia.
Russian Minister Alexander Novak welcomed the European Commission's constructive approach to the implementation of the new gas directive that is to govern the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
In this context, the Ukrainian gas giant Naftogaz filed a complaint against the Russian gas company Gazprom with the Commission in May this year for abuse of a dominant position on the European gas market (see EUROPE 12250/19).
The United States, which is very opposed to the Nord Stream 2 project, is threatening it with sanctions. This position is strongly supported by the new Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, who, at the end of May, called for new Washington economic sanctions against Russia. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)