OREANDA-NEWS. Ukraine has not yet “matured” in order to resume direct gas supplies from Russia. This was stated in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine by Dmitry Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration. According to him, the gas market of Ukraine should work only according to EU rules, the requirements of the Third Energy Package, and energy should be integrated into the European one. “Nowhere is it written in the EU rules that you should not buy gas from a certain country”, Kuleba said.

He added that Russia should not use gas as an instrument of blackmail or for the development of corruption among national elites. Ukraine will not be able to ban its companies from buying gas from Gazprom in accordance with the agreements between them, Kuleba said, but Gazprom will become a participant in the Ukrainian market only taking into account European standards. “He will not have a monopoly, he will not be able to impose his conditions by bribing officials, he will be one of the players”, Kuleba said.

He also suggested that, probably, at a certain stage, Ukrainian Naftogaz would buy fuel directly from Gazprom. According to him, such a development of events will fit into the framework of market mechanisms, “without corruption, blackmail and without a “gas needle”.