Monopoly and arrogance - Putin explained why Ukraine is deprived of transit
Ukraine lost a significant part of Russian gas transit due to the fact that it behaved like a monopolist.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said this while speaking at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum today, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“Do you think we should feed everyone? Do we have such a duty - to feed everyone? We have a contract with Ukraine regarding the pumping of our gas. Over the next five years, we will pump up to 40 billion cubic meters. In the best years, they pumped almost up to 200. If there were normal relations, a significant part would be pumped through Ukraine.
But problems are created there, and they began not in the sphere of politics, but in the sphere of economics. The monopoly opportunity for gas transit gives rise to the illusion that it is possible to inflate prices to the skies, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, to lower prices as low as possible for gas purchased for Ukraine through direct contracts. Monopoly is bad. The point is not about the army, which Ukraine has nothing to support. They are now receiving one and a half billion dollars from us for transit. They would teach 3, 4, 5. They broke everything with their own hands,” Putin emphasized.
At the same time, he noted that transit through Ukraine may continue after the current agreement expires.
“We assume that supplies to Europe will increase. In the next 10 years, the volume may increase to 50 billion cubic meters. It is possible to download the Ukrainian gas transport system in the future. Even after our transit contract expires. We are ready and want this. We need the good will of our Ukrainian partners. Not in order to support the army and aim it at solving the problems of Donbass by force, but in order to boost the economy and work with people. We have difficult relations with the leadership of Ukraine, but we think about how people live there,” the Russian leader said.
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