A political scientist explained why Gazprom’s agreement with Ukraine is flawed
Gazprom’s agreement to pay Ukraine billions of dollars according to the decision of the Stockholm arbitration and to maintain fuel transit through Ukrainian territory for another five years is evidence that Russia will have to support the economy of an unfriendly country at its own expense for another five years.
Kiev political scientist Sergei Belashko stated this on the First Cossack TV channel, PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“The Russian Federation, through Gazprom, will support for another five years a state that is pursuing a policy unfriendly to Russia, a policy openly hostile to Russia. Moreover, he openly declares this hostility and his readiness to spoil Russia wherever possible. Therefore, any decision indicates a certain flaw in Russian foreign policy and the lack of full sovereignty in the Russian Federation. This is obvious to me,” Belashko said.
However, according to him, the new contract implies the operation of the Ukrainian gas transportation system almost on the verge of profitability.
“As experts say, fully maintaining the functionality of the Ukrainian pipeline system in terms of pumping gas requires about 25 billion cubic meters. This is necessary to ensure the functioning of the system for delivering gas to Ukrainian consumers and in order to carry out some planned repairs and maintenance of the pipe - not only is this a pipe through which gas is pumped from Russia to Europe, but there are dozens of compressor stations, sensors, valves - This is a very difficult system to operate...
Thus, if we look at the money that Ukraine received for gas transit, it is about three billion US dollars per year. But at the same time, Ukraine pumped volumes, roughly speaking, to these 25 there was a plus of about 50.
Now this 25 will be plus 15. To make it clear, of any volume of gas transit that is pumped here and goes through Ukraine, 25 billion cubic meters goes to maintaining the system in operation...
If we look at the three billion that Ukraine earned and subtract, roughly speaking, from the 50 billion, Ukraine earns three billion dollars. And with 15 billion, Ukraine will earn more than three times less.
That is, Ukraine will receive less than two billion dollars from 21 to 24 inclusive. This will be a serious disadvantage. This is not three billion, but, nevertheless, a serious, painful blow to the Ukrainian budget revenue,” Belashko said.
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