The Russian president, during a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, promised her to continue the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine even after 2024, when the current contract expires
“We are ready to transit gas through Ukraine even after 2024, but we have to understand for how long, to what extent”, – Putin said. He also noted that European countries should give a clear answer what volumes of gas they are ready to buy from Russia.
Continued transit of gas through Ukraine was one of the main conditions of the agreement between Germany and the United States on the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, concluded in July. The document stipulates that Berlin undertakes to control the continuation of transit and thereby ensure Ukraine’s energy security.