OREANDA-NEWS. The proposals of the Russian company Gazprom to extend the existing or to conclude a new contract for gas transit through Ukraine in Kiev are considered unacceptable. This was stated by Minister of Energy and Environment of Ukraine Oleksiy Orzhel. "The proposal that has just been received is unacceptable for Ukraine, given that it's necessary to abandon arbitration and sign an agreement for only one year", the minister said on the air of the Ukrainian television channel.

However, he added that "mutual understanding can be found". Orzhel made it clear that in the case of signing a long-term contract for the transit of gas in the required volumes, Kiev is ready for compromises. "Compromises are possible when concluding a long-term contract", the minister said.

Previously, Gazprom submitted to the Ukrainian company Naftogaz an official proposal to extend the existing or to conclude a new contract for gas transit through Ukraine for a period of one year, taking into account the projected demand of European customers for 2020. The Gazprom proposal stated that the necessary conditions are the refusal of both parties to all mutual claims in international arbitration and the cessation of all legal proceedings.