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Contract for gas transit to EU cannot be renewed before New Year — Putin

According to the Russian President, an option of concluding contracts for delivery through third parties - Turkish, Hungarian, Slovak, Azerbaijani companies - is possible

IGORA /Leningrad Region/, December 26. /TASS/. The contract for gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine is ending, and it will not be possible to renew it before the New Year - the time when it expires, Russian President Vladimir Putin said answering a question from TASS.

"There is no contract, and it is impossible to conclude it in 3-4 days, no way," the Russian leader said.

According to the Russian President, an option of concluding contracts for delivery through third parties - Turkish, Hungarian, Slovak, Azerbaijani companies - is possible.

"The problem is that Gazprom has long-term contracts, until 2035, until 2049, and in order to change the situation with transit, these contracts need to be dissected. This is a complex procedure, difficult to resolve, insoluble," the Russian leader explained.

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