27th June 2015 04:20 clock

A valve of the Russian gas pipeline Sudzha, 200 meters from the Ukrainian border.

A valve of the Russian gas pipeline Sudzha, 200 meters from the Ukrainian border. | © Maxim Shipenkov / epa / dpa

Russia is considering a U-turn in its gas policy: The Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom to reconsider his plan of 2019 to no more gas through Ukraine to the European Union to pumps. “When the contract expires, we are holding talks on a transit agreement with our Ukrainian colleagues,” said Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller surprising on Friday in Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered this step directly. The company will, however, sign “no unacceptable Transit Agreement”. Gazprom had reiterated only recently, to set the end of 2019 the gas transit through Ukraine to Europe. Then runs namely a ten-year contract from.

Gazprom put last on the construction of the pipeline Turkish Stream through the Black Sea to the Turkish-Greek border. However, the project was recently encountered problems. Background of the new gas pipeline is the ongoing dispute between Russia and Ukraine.

The Ukraine and Russia have been arguing for months over unpaid bills and higher prices. This had in the meantime even led to a halt in supplies. Turkish Stream is regarded as an alternative project for South Stream, which Russia had given up late last year. Ukraine buys around half of its gas from Russia. Your memory is currently filled to about 37 percent. In addition, about 40 percent of Russian gas to the EU passes through the country.