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Loss of gas transit, ban on oil export from Russia to spell trouble for Ukraine — official

On April 18, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said at the government meeting that he had signed a decree on Moscow’s tit-for-tat measures following restrictions imposed by Ukraine

Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Secretary Alexander Danilyuk Mikhail Palinchak/Ukrainian president's press service/TASS

Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Secretary Alexander Danilyuk

© Mikhail Palinchak/Ukrainian president's press service/TASS

KIEV, May 31. /TASS/. Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Secretary Alexander Danilyuk believes that the loss of gas transit through the country’s territory and the ban on oil exports from Russia pose the biggest risks for Ukraine.

"There are problems that create the biggest risks, which is the problem of the loss of gas transit through the territory of Ukraine starting January 1, 2019. There are problems related to Russia’s restrictive actions that will come into force starting June 2, which will restrict supplies of diesel, oils and ban oil supplies," he said.

On April 18, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said at the government meeting that he had signed a decree on Moscow’s tit-for-tat measures following restrictions imposed by Ukraine. Particularly, the issue is about expanded ban on supplies of Ukrainian engineering products, consumer goods, metal products to Russia, as well as the ban on exports of the Russian oil and petroleum products to Ukraine. Moreover, starting June 1, 2019, coal, oil and petroleum products will be only supplied to Ukraine in case there are special permissions.

The contract on gas transit from Russia to Europe through Ukraine expires on December 31, 2019. The latest trilateral ministerial meeting in Brussels on formation of a new agreement between Russia, Ukraine and the European Commission held on January 21 yielded no results.

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