Peskov: Gazprom Ready to Discuss Contract with Future Owner of Ukrainian Gas Network

Gazprom will enter negotiations with the new owner of the network linking Russia to Europe if the U.S. takes control over it. This was reported by the presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov. He emphasized that there is no political aspect to this issue, according to kommersant.ru. “If the new owner agrees to sign a contract with Gazprom, then why not? This is a purely commercial issue, which we have never politicized. Gazprom will surely discuss it,” Peskov said in an interview with the French magazine Le Point. According to him, Russia is ready to engage in dialogue on gas supplies and knows that there are countries in Europe willing to buy it. According to Reuters, the United States added a clause to the draft agreement with Ukraine on rare earth elements concerning control over Gazprom’s network that supplies Russian raw materials to Europe. One of the agency’s sources emphasized that the atmosphere during the negotiations was tense at the moment the revised deal was presented. However, Ukraine’s exact reaction was not disclosed. As of January 1, 2025, Gazprom ceased gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine due to the expiration of its contract with Naftogaz. Russia now supplies raw materials to Romania, Greece, Serbia, and Hungary through the TurkStream and Balkan Stream pipelines, with a capacity of up to 15 billion cubic meters per year.