Brussels - Kyiv and Brussels are trying to explore all possible options to secure supplies of natural gas to Ukraine from Russia, says Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yuriy Prodan.
Following tripartite negotiations with representatives of Russia and the European Union in Brussels, Prodan said that the engagement of a European company for supplying gas to Ukraine is among such options.
He insisted that the engagement of such a company would not affect the price at which Ukrainian consumers would buy gas.
“We are ready for any options that could settle the situation today. I don’t think that this would significantly raise the price, because the price that Gazprom is offering us now at the Russian-Ukrainian border doesn’t meet any market criteria,” he said.
If a European company is involved in gas supplies to Ukraine, the price for gas should be even lower, considering that gas would be bought at the Ukrainian-Russian border and therefore the price should not include the transportation costs, Prodan said.
However, Russia has turned down this proposal, he said.
“It’s very hard for us to understand Gazprom’s motives,” he said.
