Trouble without gas

The timing of the construction of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline is synchronized with the end of the gas transit contract through Ukrainian territory, which expires in 2019. This was stated by the head of the Ministry of Energy Alexander Novak, Interfax reports .

"In accordance with the intergovernmental agreement on the bottom of the Black Sea, the deadline for the project is December 2019. This is completely synchronized with the contract between Gazprom and Naftogaz, which is also valid until the end of 2019," Novak said.

According to the Russian minister, gas volumes in the gas storage of Ukraine are not enough for the normal passage of the nearest winter. “Of course, these are risks for Ukrainian consumers that they will have to reduce gas consumption if the winter is cold, these risks are significant,” Novak said.

At the same time, Russia is ready to supply Ukraine with the volume of gas missing for winter if Kyiv has the necessary resources for payment. "For our part, we are ready to fully provide gas transit for European consumers and gas supply to Ukraine for pumping at the PHG," Novak said.

On Thursday, Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman announced a sufficient supply of gas and electricity to pass the heating period. “For all citizens, I want to say that gas, electricity is in the required quantity,” he said. “There is one hundred percent willingness to start the heating season where it has not yet begun because the temperature regime is still acceptable, and the heating season has already begun where the temperature readings allow it to be done.”

On Monday, Novak and the Minister of Energy and Turkey Berat Albayrak entered into an agreement on the construction of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline . The document was signed in Istanbul following negotiations between the leaders of the two countries - Vladimir Putin and Tayyip Erdogan. The heads of both states were present at the conclusion of an agreement. It provides for the construction of two threads of the main pipeline along the bottom of the Black Sea.

Putin reported the idea of ​​building the Turkish Stream in December 2014 . He explained that the implementation of the previously planned South Stream project is impossible due to the position of the European Union, characterizing it as non-constructive and inappropriate to European interests. It was decided to redirect Russian energy resources to other markets, Putin said.

However, the signing of the agreement between Russia and Turkey was constantly postponed. After the deterioration of relations between the countries due to the incident with the Russian bomber Su-24, shot down by the Turkish Air Force, negotiations on the "Turkish stream" were completely suspended .

When relations between the two countries normalized, the discussion of the project resumed. On August 8, Erdogan said that Ankara is ready to immediately take all the necessary steps to implement this project.