Putin says the reverse mode in gas transit is technically impossible / Photo from UNIAN
He noted that Ukraine wants to regulate gas cooperation under European laws and Russia is not against this.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says he doesn't rule out a halt to transit shipments of Russian natural gas via Ukraine's territory from January 1, 2020.
"As for talks with Ukraine, whether such threats related to a halt to transit exist or don't exist. We have said many times: We are ready to work with Ukraine both in shipping our gas to Europe and in selling it to Ukraine, and at prices that are lower than those at which Ukraine gets this Russian gas but in the would-be reverse mode, from Europe," Putin said at a summit in Brazil, according to an UNIAN correspondent.
At the same time, he said "no reverse mode is possible."
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"Gas cannot flow via half of the pipe one way and half of the pipe the other way. It's nonsense as you can see. This is absolutely impossible. We know how it is technologically done: [gas] arrives, then it goes in a loop – they've made a bypass pipe – and it is pumped back. Or it is just pumped straight from there... Technologically, how is the pipe built? This is a Soviet-era pipe: it is a transit one with bypass pipes covering the entire territory of Ukraine. They meter [gas] and then meter it again as if it had arrived from Europe," he said.
"This is just nonsense, and we are well aware of this," he said.
"We simply do not make noise about this not to get the situation worse. But we said that if we supply directly, we are even ready to reduce the price by 20% and even by 25%," he added.
He was also indignant at the fact that Ukraine's gas giant, NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine, had filed another lawsuit in court for more than US$6 billion.
"That's nonsense, they just aggravate the situation. Why to do that? We say: We are ready, with the involvement of the European Commission, to strike any deal," he said.
He noted that Ukraine wants to regulate gas cooperation under European laws and Russia is not against this.
"We told the European Commission about this, and I told my colleagues in France and Germany. If Ukraine manages to implement the legislation of European countries – you're welcome. There it is connected with the division of generating companies and transit companies. If they manage to do this within the time left, that's good. They have commitments before Europe, not before us – let them do it, we are ready for this," he said.
"But this does not depend on us. Therefore, the risk of a halt to transit shipments exists, taking into account the circumstances I've just mentioned," Putin said.