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Russia not in talks on gas transit through Ukraine with either Brussels or Kiev — Novak

The official said that the possibility of selling gas to Europe at the border with Ukraine was also not being discussed

MOSCOW, January 31. /TASS/. Russia is currently not in talks on gas transit through Ukraine with either Brussels or Kiev, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told reporters.

"Currently there are no negotiations," he said.

Novak added that the possibility of selling gas to Europe at the border with Ukraine is also not being discussed.

Novak said earlier that Russia is ready to supply gas to Europe via various routes even after the contract for gas transit through Ukraine expires in 2024, but does not yet see the desire to discuss this issue. "We are always ready to continue gas supplies to Europe, and not only along the current route until the end of 2024. If the other side wants to continue, we are ready to discuss these issues. So far, we do not see such desire," he told reporters.

In December 2019, Gazprom and Naftogaz agreed to extend Russian gas transit across Ukrainian territory from 2020 to 2024, with the option of further extension. The contract calls for the transit of 65 bln cubic meters of gas in 2020 and 40 bln cubic meters per year from 2021 to 2024. The arrangement operates under the "take or pay" premise, which means that transit fees are levied based on the volume of booked capacity, even if actual pumping volume is lower.

Earlier, Chairman of Ukrainian Naftogaz Alexey Chernyshov stated that Kiev would not renew the agreement for Russian gas transportation to Europe, which expires at the end of 2024. He stated that Ukraine is not terminating the contract now just because of its European partners.

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