Kiev warned the EU about the possible termination of the transit of Russian gas through the territory of Ukraine

The transit of Russian natural gas to EU countries through Ukraine may be stopped, as warned in a letter by Yuriy Prodan, who was appointed by the Verkhovna Rada as Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine. The letter was sent to the European Commissioner for Energy Gunther Oettinger.

The letter said: “We inform you that there is little time left to organize natural gas supplies from the EU countries to Ukraine. and even with a complete cessation of gas supplies to the West. " The Minister noted that the most pessimistic forecasts on the price of Russian natural gas have been confirmed in recent days.

Sold stated that the price is already known, and from April 2014 there will be no discount specified in the Kharkiv agreements on Russian gas prices for Ukraine. In this regard, the minister reminded the European side of the declared intention to support Ukraine with gas supplies if Russia reduces or stops gas supplies to Ukraine or significantly raises the price of gas.

The Ukrainian cabinet expects the price of Russian gas for Ukraine to rise to $ 480 per thousand cubic meters from April 1. Until the end of March, the price of Russian gas for Ukraine was $ 268.5 per thousand cubic meters. Meanwhile, Andrey Kruglov, deputy head of the board of Russian Gazprom, said that "Yamal-Europe and Nord Stream will provide certain supplies if difficulties arise with transit through Ukraine. Until now, transit through Ukraine is carried out in accordance with contracts." He also said that Ukraine's debt for gas is more than $ 1.7 billion.

Alexey Miller, the general director of Gazprom, said that on March 7, the deadline for settlements of Ukraine for gas supplies in February expired. Miller said that “Ukraine has actually stopped paying for gas. We cannot supply gas for free. Either Ukraine pays off the debt and pays for current supplies, or there will be a risk of a repeat of the situation at the beginning of 2009 ”.

More than half of Russian gas comes in transit through Ukraine. According to the annual survey, the share of Russia in the European gas market in 2013 was 34%, Norway 35%, Algeria 14%, Qatar 10%, Nigeria 3% and Libya 2%.