YEKATERINBURG, November 3. /TASS/. Russia has no plans of stopping transiting natural gas across Ukraine even in spite of having alternative routes, but Kiev shows unwillingness to reach an agreement on the issue, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a televised interview with Moscow. Kremlin. Putin program on Rossiya’1 channel on Sunday.
"Now Russia will have every opportunity to ensure the required supplies to Western consumers due to other alternative routes. Will Russia take advantage of this? Definitely not," he said. "President Putin has reiterated that we are not refusing from transit via Ukraine, but we cannot do it unless our Ukrainian counterparts want it."
Peskov emphasized that Ukraine needs continuing gas transit through its territory.
"Talks were held this week between representatives of Gazprom, Ukrainian counterparts and representatives of the European Commission over transit via Ukraine. The question is ‘Should we transit through Ukraine?’ Well, we definitely need, and it is obvious that we need," he stressed. "If there is no transit, Ukraine’s gas transportation system will simply collapse."
"And what is more, how can we held talks and seek certain agreements when mayhem is underway at the [Stockholm] Arbitration Institute. Putin clearly said that guys, let’s first drop some rather absurd demands and then start to negotiate," Peskov added.
The current 10-year contract for the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine expires at the end of 2019. By this time, Russia plans to launch two gas pipelines bypassing Ukraine - the Nord Stream 2 and the TurkStream. Kiev fears that after the launch of gas pipelines at full capacity, Russian natural gas transit through the country’s territory will be stopped completely, which could cause damage worth $3 billion annually to Ukraine’s budget. Nonetheless, the new capacities are not enough yet to replace the capacities of gas pipelines running through Ukraine.