Russia's Putin says Moscow plans to keep gas transit via Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Moscow planned to keep gas transit via Ukraine irrespective of a number of gas pipelines Moscow currently builds to bypass its ex-Soviet neighbor, Reuters reports.

Ukraine is a key transit route for Russian piped gas exports to Europe but a current deal between the two post-Soviet countries expires at the end of the year.

“This is a very difficult, sensitive topic. We would like to solve this problem,” Putin said at his annual press conference in Moscow.

“We will look for a solution that is acceptable for all parties, including Ukraine. That’s despite the construction of infrastructure such as Nord Stream 1, Nord Stream 2, TurkStream. We will preserve gas transit through Ukraine.”