Putin: Ukraine is punishing Europe, and there can be no gas transit agreement before the New Year
author: Amber Feng
2024-12-27
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday it was impossible to reach a gas transit deal with Ukraine within days of New Year's Eve, blaming Ukraine. The existing five-year gas transit agreement between Russia and Ukraine is due to expire at the end of this year.
Mr. Putin said it was Ukraine that was punishing Europe by refusing to extend a deal to send gas to Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Austria, and that prices there would rise. He said any new agreement to transport gas through Ukraine would be challenging.
"They announced that they would not renew the contract and it was impossible to reach an agreement in three or four days," he told a news conference on Thursday.
Putin also said that while it is true that there are various proposals that would allow Hungary, Slovakia, Turkey or Azerbaijan to take over gas transported through Ukraine, each one is difficult and requires a lot of work because Gazprom PJSC has long-term contracts that are difficult to change.
For decades, Russia has carried gas from northern Siberia through Ukraine through a Soviet-era cross-border pipeline to Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria and other countries. These countries also rely heavily on Gazprom to meet their gas needs.
However, the existing gas transit contract between Russia and Ukraine is due to expire this month. Speaking in the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) last week, Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergei Shmegar said that Ukraine plans to stop the transit of Russian gas to Europe through its gas transportation system from 7 o 'clock on January 1, 2025.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said earlier this month that his country would not allow Russian gas to be shipped across its border as long as the war continued without guarantees that the Kremlin would not benefit financially.
In 2023, 69% of Slovak and 60% of Austrian gas imports will come from Russia. So Ukraine's plan to stop transshipment of Russian gas starting next year is a major concern for those countries.
Separately, Mr. Putin said a lawsuit by Ukraine's oil and gas company Naftogaz accusing Gazprom of not paying in full for transportation services was another obstacle to a quick deal. Naftogaz filed a claim in Switzerland in 2022.
"Let's withdraw the claim from the court," he said.
Finally, Putin said that if the Warsaw government allows it, Russia may consider other routes and is ready to immediately start supplying gas to Europe via Poland.
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