Kiev Insists On Maintaining Transit Of Russian Oil, Gas Via Ukraine - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th May, 2023) The Ukrainian government and state-run energy giant Naftogaz are insisting on maintaining transit of Russian gas and oil via the territory of Ukraine despite the military conflict with Moscow, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday.

Senior Ukrainian officials and Naftogaz believe that their country should not close the pipelines pumping Russian energy resources to keep generating revenue from their transit and also because of some European supporters of Ukraine that are still dependent on gas and oil from Russia, the report said.

Kiev also believes that continuing commercial gas and oil deals with Moscow help to limit air strikes by the Russian military, according to the report.

Ukraine's commitment to preserve the transit of Russian gas via its own territory is also reflected in a so-called "action plan" published by a working group on Russian sanctions chaired by Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, and Michael McFaul, a former US ambassador to Russia, with the plan calling for keeping Russian oil and gas running through Ukraine.

Russian energy giant Gazprom supplies millions of cubic meters of gas per day to the Sudzha entry point on border with Ukraine for further transit to Europe via the Ukrainian territory. On Wednesday, Gazprom is supplying 41.3 million cubic meters of gas to the station for gas transit through Ukraine, Gazprom spokesman Sergey Kupriyanov said.