The probability of signing a contract for the transit of natural gas with Russia’s Gazprom from Jan. 1, 2020, is nearing zero, CEO of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy Andriy Kobolev has said.
“We can say that there is still some chance of signing a transit contract from Jan. 1, but it’s very, very small. Every minute it is nearing zero,” he said amid the company’s report on the implementation of the unbundling plan in Kyiv on Dec. 18.
Kobolev said earlier on that day that the likelihood that an agreement on the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine would not be signed before the end of this year remained high, however, talks on this subject under this scenario might resume in April-May 2020.
“I hope that even if the contract has not signed now, then in April-May we will return to this discussion with the Russian and European parties,” he said on Dec. 18.
If the U.S. Senate approves Nord Stream 2 sanctions and the U.S. president enacts them immediately, this will increase the chances of signing a gas transit contract late this year or early next year, he added.
