Russia will commit to transport at least 60 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas through the Ukrainian transport system if a bilateral gas transport consortium is created with Ukraine, Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov said at a Monday briefing in Kyiv.

"We are considering as the most promising option the creation of a bilateral gas consortium in which Russia will take on the commitment to transport a certain quantity of gas - tentatively at least 60 bcm - through the Ukrainian gas transport system," he said.

At this point, the establishment of a trilateral consortium is doubtful because Europe is not providing guarantees on the amount of Russian gas it will consume, the ambassador said. It is this issue that contributes a "vague effect" to the situation, he added.

"As regards technical work on the likely creation of a gas transport consortium, not everything is decided right now," Zurabov said.

Russia has been informed that the Ukrainian government introduced draft legislative changes in order to establish a gas transport consortium on the basis of the Ukrainian gas transport system, although the Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada) still has to give its stamp of approval, he said.

"In addition, this draft law was clearly built to requirements that the European Union put to Ukraine based on Ukraine's membership in the European Energy Community. On these terms, Gazprom is unlikely to reach any agreement," Zurabov said.

That said, the ambassador considers the composition of this draft law to be a necessary but insufficient signal on Ukraine's part.