Major issues still unresolved in Russia-Ukraine transit talks

Maros Sefcovic, European Commission vice president for Energy Union. (EC)

Progress was made in Brussels on Thursday as Russia agreed that its new transit contract with Ukraine should be based on EU law. However, major sticking points such as tariffs, the contract’s duration, the volumes involved and the possibility of Ukraine purchasing gas directly from Russia have still not been resolved.

The negotiations have been overshadowed by the fact the Stockholm arbitration court last year ordered Gazprom to pay Naftogaz Ukrainy $2.56 billion in lost transit fees – a verdict Moscow has not...