"Actual blackmail": Naftogaz comments on Russia's position in gas talks

The main problem with extending the current gas contract between Naftogaz of Ukraine and Russia's Gazprom is that the document does not contain any guarantees on transit volumes to be pumped via Ukraine, which will allow the Russian side to bring them to zero once the Nord Stream 2 pipeline bypassing Ukraine is completed, according to Naftogaz CCO, Yuriy Vitrenko.

Summing up in his Facebook posting the tripartite gas talks held in Brussels on Jan 21, Vitrenko wrote: “In addition to its inconsistency with European rules, in Gazprom's interpretation, the contract contains no transit volume guarantees. That is, after the construction of Nord Stream 2, Gazprom will be able to reduce transit via Ukraine to zero, even if the contract is extended.”

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According to Vitrenko, both today and in the future, Gazprom does not seek to change either the contract or the party to the contract.

Also, the official noted that Gazprom was ready to extend the existing contract after the Stockholm Arbitration awards are canceled in the Appeals Court. Russians call this "restoring the balance between Naftogaz and Gazprom."

"If 'balance is restored' in relations, Gazprom is ready to extend the existing contract between Naftogaz and Gazprom, which Gazprom does not consider to be in breach of Ukrainian law,” he wrote.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolyev, commenting on the proposal of the Russian side to extend the existing contracts, noted that Ukraine was ready to consider future agreements only if they fully complied with European energy legislation, which had been implemented in Ukraine.

According to the official, future agreements with Gazprom should be consistent with the awards handed down by the Stockholm arbitration and provide for the fulfillment by the Russian side of obligations imposed by arbitration. The European Commission has supported this position.