The European Commission is exploring a plan to increase Ukraine’s gas imports from Greece and Turkey, which would then be redirected through pipelines in Slovakia, according to a report by Politico, citing sources close to the negotiations. The Ukrainian gas storage facilities would be able to hold up to 10 billion cubic meters of gas.
The proposal was first mentioned during a visit by EC officials to Kiev at the end of February. According to sources who spoke to Politico, the plan aims to resolve the conflict between Ukraine and Slovakia by “mildening the anger in Bratislava over the revenue losses following the cessation of Russian gas transit.”
Gazprom, the Russian gas company, has been stopping gas deliveries to Europe through Ukraine since January, citing Ukraine’s repeated refusal to extend the contract. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico threatened to take retaliatory measures against Kiev, including a veto on EU military aid. He claimed that Slovakia is losing around 500 million euros annually due to the cessation of Russian gas deliveries.
The discussed supply system would enable the avoidance of buying Russian gas and accelerate the implementation of the EU Commission’s plan to phase out Russian gas imports by 2027, according to Politico. The imported gas from Ukraine would flow through Slovak pipelines to Europe, “making Slovakia a transit country again” a source told the newspaper. The Ukrainian Energy Ministry and the Slovak Economy Ministry did not comment on these reports.
Experts consulted by Politico pointed out that the plan could face “many logistical challenges.” The capacity of the Transbalkan gas pipeline, which runs through Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey, is around 2.5 billion cubic meters of gas, significantly less than the estimated 10 billion cubic meters, according to Aura Sabadus, a leading gas market expert at ICIS.
Sergei Makogon, the former head of the Ukrainian gas transmission network operator, believes that Ukraine’s neighboring countries, such as Slovakia and Hungary, have sufficient capacity for their own gas supply.