Kremlin: Türkiye: Alternative route for gas deliveries to Europe

MOSCOW

Russia has alternative routes for deliveries to European countries, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on August 28, commenting on the refusal of the Ukrainian authorities to extend the agreement on the transit of Russian gas.

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“There are alternative routes, there are plans to create a hub in Turkey, these works are underway,” Peskov said, according to TASS.

Russian President Vladimir Putin first raised the idea of ​​building a gas hub in Turkey in 2022.

In December last year, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said implementation of the hub project could begin in 2024.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on August 27 that his country would not extend the transit agreement through Ukraine beyond December 31.

Ukrainian companies signed a five-year contract with Gazprom at the end of 2019.

Kiev’s decision to terminate the contract with Gazprom on the supply of Russian gas to Europe will cause serious harm to European consumers, Peskov said.

“They will simply have to pay a lot more, which will limit the competitiveness of their industry,” he added.

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Despite the ongoing conflict, Russia delivered more than 14 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe via Ukraine in 2023, but less than the 40 billion cubic meters stipulated in the contract.

The EU members Austria, Hungary and Slovakia still receive Russian gas in this way.

The three countries continue to rely on Russian gas, despite the EU’s promise to cut off Russian gas supplies by 2027 following Moscow’s major offensive in Ukraine launched in February 2022.