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Russia wants to keep gas transit via Ukraine to Europe, Putin says

President Vladimir Putin stated on Thursday that Russia aims to keep pumping gas through Ukraine to the European Union but included that Moscow could not force Kyiv to keep the transit agreement which expires at the end of this year.

As for Ukraine, we are not abandoning this transit, strangely enough. Why? Since we, and Gazprom, intend to satisfy all our commitments to our consumers with whom we have long-term agreements, Putin said.

There is a transit contract that ends on December 31 of this year. However if Ukraine refuses this transit, well, we can't. force it, Putin stated.

Putin stated that Gazprom s primary consumers in Europe did. not seem to desire the transit arrangement to end despite the fact that they. supplied military help to Ukraine.

The Soviet-era

Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod pipeline

brings gas from western Siberia via Sudzha in Russia's. Kursk area. It then streams through Ukraine in the instructions of. Slovakia.

In Slovakia, the gas pipeline is divided, one of the. branches goes to the Czech Republic, the other to Austria. The. main purchasers of gas are Hungary, Slovakia and Austria.

If Ukraine declined transit of Russian gas, then Russia. would utilize TurkStream gas pipeline under the Black Sea to supply. Europe.

Ukraine declines our transit, which means that the. volumes of gas that get in Europe will reduce, Putin stated. They will follow other routes, in specific through the. TurkStream, maybe partially through the Blue Stream to Turkey too. But this is their choice, how it will impact them, I do not. completely understand..

(source: Reuters)