MOSCOW, April 24. /TASS/. Gas sales are a commercial endeavour, and this is the perspective from which Russia views the possible resumption of gas transit to Europe through Ukraine, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.
He thus commented on a previous statement he made in an interview with the French magazine Le Point.
"The point was that this is a commercial story. There is a gas seller, there are potential buyers. And if the buyers show interest, if the transit route works, then, of course, the seller will be ready to discuss all this. No one denies or rejects anything," Peskov said.
In his interview for Le Point, Peskov was asked whether the possible transfer of control over the gas pipeline in Ukraine to the United States would be beneficial to Russia. In response, the Kremlin official called for not politicizing the situation with gas transit.
"If the new owner agrees to sign a contract with Gazprom, then why not? This is a purely commercial issue. <…> We are ready to negotiate on our gas," the Kremlin spokesman said in the interview.
However, at a briefing today, when asked whether substantive negotiations with the US and Europe are underway Peskov replied: "No, they are not."