NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy expects from Gazprom a formal response to the 10-year transit contract proposed by the European Commission with an annual volume of 60 billion cubic meters, Yuriy Vitrenko, the executive director of Naftogaz Ukrainy, has said.

"They say that Gazprom wants a contract for transit not for 10 years, as proposed by the European Commission, but only half a year or a year, until it completes Nord Stream 2. It would be appreciated for Gazprom to respond officially to the EC proposal. If Gazprom does not accept this offer, let it offer its own option. And preferably with all the detail," he wrote on his Facebook page.

"For example, whether Gazprom is ready to unlock in practice the possibility for other companies to transit gas from the territory of the Russian Federation. We will carefully consider it. The Ukrainian side has repeatedly stressed that we are interested in continuing the transit, therefore we are taking a constructive position," added Vitrenko.

The executive director of the NJSC drew attention to the fact that if information about Gazprom's readiness to enter into a contract for just a year and a half is true, this proves the Russian side's intention to completely abandon Ukrainian transit after the completion of the Nord Stream 2 project.

Naftogaz confirms on its official Facebook page that the Russian side has not yet officially announced the version of the "short" contract.