Ukraine is ready to extend the transit of Russian gas through its gas transmission system (GTS) at the initiative of the countries of the European Union, but it will not extend the existing contract or sign a new one with Gazprom, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at a press conference in Kyiv on Monday.

"Of course, we are not going to negotiate with the aggressor country about extending [the transit contract] and putting our signatures on the agreement, but we have had repeated negotiations with European leaders on the basis of the European Commission. If the European countries act as a consortium or one of the European partners will act as a transit country for their gas – we are ready to provide such a service. Here the initiative is on the side of the EU and our European partners," he said.

"A group, an association, a consortium... This could be the European Commission, a group of European countries that are interested in maintaining transit," Shmyhal said.

At the same time, according to the prime minister, the Ukrainian gas transmission system is ready to function without the transit of Russian natural gas.