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Ukraine has proposed a scheme to Azerbaijan to replace Russian gas
Kyiv is proposing an option not to extend the contract for Russian gas supplies and to become its re-exporter. Western countries could buy gas, pump it into storage facilities in Ukraine, and then utilize it at home. prudence
Citing sources, RBC Ukraine reported that Kyiv offered gas exporter Azerbaijan and buyer Slovakia an alternative to delivering Russian gas to Europe through Ukrainian territory.
It is proposed to replace Russian gas with Azerbaijani gas. In 2023, Baku already exported about 12 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe. It is planned to increase this figure to 13 billion cubic meters by 2024. middle.
The proposed mechanism for transporting fuel is as follows: The prospective buyer (for example, Slovakia) purchases fuel at entry points from Azerbaijan to Russia or from Russia to Ukraine. Gas owners can agree to transport gas through Russian territory, pump it into underground storage facilities in Ukraine and then use it at their own discretion, including for sale abroad. In this regard, Ukraine is a re-exporting country, not a transit country.
There are key conditions to this proposal: Each side must independently reach an agreement with Russia on security of supply, essentially to protect Ukraine's gas transportation system in the event of military action.
RBC Ukraine's interlocutors noted that this topic is being raised at bilateral meetings, although the discussion process cannot be called negotiations. Neither Azerbaijan nor Slovakia have given a final answer to this idea yet.
"Azerbaijan currently exports gas to eight countries. I hope Slovakia will become the ninth," Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in May of this year. However, the publication's sources reported that Azerbaijan's interest in gas supplies to the European Union via Ukraine has decreased, and Baku has not raised the issue for four months. "I think that Baku's activity has practically decreased to zero due to Russia's position that it must participate in this process one way or another," the source of RBC-Ukraine suggested.
The gas transportation agreement signed between Moscow and Kiev in 2019 expires at the end of 2024. Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly ruled out the possibility of extending the contract with Gazprom. The European Union (EU) has also said it is not interested in doing so.
At the same time, Bloomberg reported in June that European companies are considering purchasing gas from Azerbaijan and then delivering it through Russian pipelines to Europe as one of the options.
"There is no excuse. The EU can do without Russian gas. This is a political choice, and it is dangerous," warned European Commissioner Kadri Simpson in mid-October.