BRATISLAVA, October 31. /TASS/. It is advisable to maintain the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine to the European Union after 2024, since this meets the economic interests of the community countries, Pavol Kubik, spokesman of Eustream, operator of Slovak gas transportation system, told reporters.

"The continuation of these transit supplies after 2024 corresponds to economic interests of the EU countries, which might show a desire not to interrupt them," Kubik said.

According to the official, it makes sense to "further maintain the current supply mode through the Ukrainian gas transportation system."

"This is even more clear in connection with the obvious [significant] income [from the transit of Russian gas] for Ukraine itself," Kubik said.

In his opinion, one of the options for supplying Russian gas through Ukraine after 2024 is to involve a third party in this process. It would purchase energy resources from Russia directly on the Russian-Ukrainian border, and they would no longer be sent to the EU as a Russian asset, Kubik said.

On October 29, head of Naftogaz, Alexey Chernyshov, said that Ukraine will not renew the agreement on the transit of Russian gas to Europe, which expires at the end of 2024. He stressed that Ukraine is not terminating the contract now only because of its European partners.

In early June, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told TASS that if Ukraine does not extend the gas transit agreement with Russia after 2024, it will cause great damage to the EU and harm itself.