Ukraine is preparing for the heating season, having accumulated about 13 billion cubic meters of gas in underground storage, including a “buffer” reserve. According to Volodymyr Omelyanenko, director of energy programs at the Razumkov Centre, the country needs to purchase an additional 4 billion cubic meters of gas for stable winter passage, which will cost approximately €2 billion. This step will help offset the deficit that has arisen due to reduced domestic production as a result of Russian attacks on infrastructure. Traditionally, national production has provided about 85% of gas consumption in Ukraine.
This is reported by Business • Media
International Support and Agreements on Gas Supply
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky assured that the state has agreements for financing and gas supply amounting to $2 billion in case of a difficult situation. Partners in this matter already include Slovakia, the USA, Norway, Poland, Greece, and Azerbaijan. Zelensky emphasized that this is not only about financial support but also about direct supply of energy resources.
Slovakia’s Position on Gas Transit and Ukraine’s Future in the EU
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico called for the issue of Russian gas transit through Ukrainian territory to be considered during negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. According to him, the cessation of transit leads to annual losses for Slovakia amounting to €500–600 million.
“In the negotiations regarding Ukraine’s EU membership, we need to address the future of Russian gas transit through Ukraine, as this issue is important for Slovakia, which loses hundreds of millions of euros annually,” said Robert Fico.
At the same time, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko expressed readiness to cooperate to ensure Slovakia’s energy security. Ukraine is also considering the possibility of creating a new regional energy hub, which would enhance the reliability of energy supply for its partners.