OREANDA-NEWS  Ukraine has prepared an action plan in case of failure of negotiations with Russia on gas transit to Europe from January 1, 2020. This was stated by Deputy Foreign Minister Elena Zerkal.

According to the Deputy Minister, Kiev after the completion of the current contract is going to adhere to the "Plan A", which provides for a new agreement on European rules.

"Our "Plan A" is to ratify the new annexes to the Association Agreement with the EU on the integration of Ukraine into the energy space of the European Union, make them legally binding and fulfill them in any scenario and in any case,"— explained mirror, specifying that the plan is made "on sustainability with the help of the United States."

The Deputy Minister stressed that the document should be made so that it is executed by any new President of Ukraine and any new government. Kiev well "learned the lessons "of the gas crisis in 2009, so together with the" partners" is preparing preventive measures in case of failure of the negotiations, she added.

December 31, 2019 expires the contract for the transit of Russian gas to Europe through Ukraine. The document was signed in 2009. Now "Naftogaz" requires "Gazprom" to revise the tariff for transit of gas in 2018-2019.

Last Tuesday, March 5, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in an interview with Luxemburger worth, answering a question about the future of Russian gas transit, said that Moscow is ready to continue to supply gas through pipelines through Ukraine, if the interested companies of the two countries will achieve favorable economic and commercial parameters of the transaction, as well as if the political situation becomes stable.

Approximately the same position was expressed earlier by President Vladimir Putin. In July last year, he pointed out that Russia would be ready to maintain gas transit through Ukraine if the situation in the Stockholm arbitration was resolved.

Since 2014, the dispute between Gazprom and Naftogaz related to contracts for transit and supply of gas to Ukraine has been ongoing in the Arbitration court of Stockholm. In February last year, the court ordered the Russian company to pay Kiev $4.63 billion for non-delivery of gas under the transit agreement. Taking into account of the Ukrainian debt (about $2.1 bn) Gazprom owes $2.56 billion in a few months, Moscow has made the suspension of decisions of the arbitration "Naftogaz" of the action "Gazprom" are not contested. At the end of February this year, the Ukrainian company began the process of debt collection from Gazprom in Luxembourg. Kiev has filed lawsuits against Moscow in several jurisdictions.