Ukraine will 'struggle' with the coming winter due to dispute with Russia

Illustration photo: Ria Novosti

“We are in a very difficult situation with very low coal reserves. We have held frank discussions with major thermal power companies,” Mr. Gerus, spokesman for the President of Ukraine, added.

According to Mr. Gerus, the Ukrainian government has made a proposal that heat production companies should not use reserve energy resources as a way to increase taxes.

“Such stories have happened in history, and we hope they will never be repeated. The most important thing now, while the disputes with Gazprom over gas transportation are still unresolved, is that companies must have enough energy reserves, especially before the winter season this year,” President Zelensky’s spokesman said.

Uncertainty about the transportation of green fuels could affect the domestic gas market situation, Mr. Gerus warned.

Kiev stopped buying gas from Moscow in November 2015. Since then, Ukraine has been buying fuel from Europe, mainly from Slovakia, Hungary and Poland.

Currently, the contracts for the supply and transit of Russian gas through Ukraine will expire at the end of 2019. The issue of coming up with a new cooperation agreement was discussed at the trilateral meetings between Russia, Ukraine and the European Commission held in Brussels in January 2019, but there is no certainty about the future of cooperation.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said in June, after talks with Vice President of the European Energy Commission Maros Shefchovich, that Russia is ready to extend the contract for gas transit through Ukraine and continue supplying gas to the country. Minister Novak added that the outcome of the lawsuit between Gazprom (Russia) and Naftogaz (Ukraine) is one of the main factors determining the future of the gas agreement between Russia and Ukraine.