Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, after meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, said that Ukraine is ready to allow the transportation of Russian natural gas through its territory after the current transit agreement expires in 2024.
"There was an agreement that the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine is likely to continue, and that's great news," Fico said in a video message on Facebook, Bloomberg reports.
Fico, after the Russian shelling of Kyiv, said that "life is normal" in the city.
"This means that we in Slovakia will also be able to continue the transit of this gas, which will also benefit Austria and Italy. I believe that we will be able to finalize the details of this agreement in the near future," Fico emphasized.
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The Cabinet of Ministers refutes Fico's words and declares that Ukraine has no intention of extending the contract for the transportation of Russian gas to Europe after 2024.
"The position of the Ukrainian side is unequivocal: the transportation contract expires at the end of this year, we do not intend to negotiate with the Russians and extend the contract, as the Prime Minister of Ukraine informed his Slovak counterpart," the government press service told Interfax-Ukraine.
However, the Cabinet of Ministers says that Kyiv "can talk to a European country (EU member) about the use of its gas transportation network."
