Gas equipment in the Lviv regionMOSCOW, February 3Ukraine needs to conclude a direct contract with Gazprom «on gas supplies, since high prices for «blue fuel» greatly harm its economy, such an opinion was expressed by Ukrainian economist, co-chairman of the Energy Strategies Fund Dmitry Marunich on the air of the Nash TV channel.» This is important not for Naftogaz, not for Zelensky and the government — this is important for the end consumer … The final price (cubic meter — ed.) of gas with VAT is 60 hryvnia (about 160 rubles), we will soon have the entire industry,» the expert warned.
Ex-Minister of Energy of Ukraine admitted the theft of Russian gas stability of supplies of heat and electricity to the homes of Ukrainians. «And he (will be. — ed.) forty (hryvnias. — ed.), dear friends. And what does it all mean? <…> everything is a blow to the competitiveness of our industry, to local budgets … It would be wise for us to return to direct agreements with Gazprom, like Hungary,» Marunich said. The expert warned that «getting off the Russian gas needle,» which Kiev authorities, may end «very sadly» for the industry and the population of Ukraine. Formally, Kiev has not been buying gas in Russia since 2015, receiving it through the so-called virtual reverse. Under this scheme, Ukrainian consumers select part of the transit fuel that Gazprom sends to Europe. Physically, it does not cross the western border, but is registered as imported from the European Union. On February 1, it became known that Ukraine for the first time began to physically import gas from Hungary. As the head of Naftogaz, Yuriy Vitrenko, said, this heating season the company is forced to buy gas at any price, since its own production is not enough, it intends to raise funds for this on international markets. Naftogaz also claimed that direct imports from Russia would jeopardize the sovereignty of the state.
