Ukraine is ready to continue the transit of Russian gas through its gas transportation system at the initiative of the European Union, but it will not extend the existing contract or sign a new one with Gazprom. This was stated by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal at a press conference.

"We are certainly not going to negotiate with the aggressor country to extend (the transit contract) and sign the agreement, but we have had repeated talks with European leaders on the basis of the European Commission. If European countries act either as a consortium or one of the European partners acts as a transit country for their own gas, we are ready to provide such a service. The initiative here is on the side of the EU and our European partners," he said.

"A group, an association, a consortium... This could be the European Commission, a group of European countries that are interested in maintaining transit," Shmyhal said.

At the same time, according to the Prime Minister, Ukraine's gas transportation system is ready to function without transit of Russian natural gas.