The Ukrainian Energy Ministry asserted its commitment to reliable gas transport as concerns over sending Russian natural gas through Ukraine and Austria have recently increased.
With the expiry of a transit contract signed between Kyiv and Moscow in 2019, no Russian natural gas would be transported through Ukraine to Austria from the end of 2024, ex-head of Austrian energy major OMV Gerhard Roiss warned last week on ORF’s “ZIB2” show, referring to an unnamed Ukrainian deputy energy minister.
However, the Ukrainian Energy Ministry is unaware of any decision to stop transporting natural gas from Russia through Ukraine to the West after the expiry of the contract with Russia at the end of 2024, APA reported.
“Ukraine respects its obligations and is a reliable partner of the EU states. European traders can freely order transport capacities in Ukraine’s gas transport system,” the ministry’s press office answered an APA query.
According to the ministry’s explanation, the gas transportation system in Ukraine is a vital link connecting the gas transportation systems of all neighbouring EU countries, enabling the seamless transport of gas between them while facilitating storage in Europe’s largest gas storage facilities.
However, at the same time, international partners would be supported in relinquishing Russian energy resources and natural gas in particular.
Since Russia would be using these resources for economic blackmail, it would be risky to hope that Gazprom would continue to meet its obligations to Austria, the ministry said.
“We are convinced that European states should accelerate their efforts to get away from this dependence,” it further commented.
Austria’s regulator E-Control had previously sounded the all-clear and informed that pipeline capacities through Ukraine could also be booked at short notice.
(Chiara Swaton | EURACTIV.de)
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