As Ukraine, Russia and the EU stake out positions for talks next month on renewing Russia’s gas transit contract with Ukraine, President Putin warns Ukraine that no gas in the pipeline means no gas for Ukraine.

As Ukraine, Russia and the EU stake out positions for talks next month on renewing Russia’s gas transit contract with Ukraine, President Putin warns Ukraine that no gas in the pipeline means no gas for Ukraine. “Imagine that there is no transit, then there will be no gas supply to Ukraine,” he tells reporters, according to UNIAN. Currently, to avoid dealing with Gazprom, Ukraine buys Russian gas from EU companies. Gazprom’s 10-year gas transit contract expires at 10 a.m. Monday Jan. 1. Gazprom said in January it would only negotiate seriously after Ukraine’s presidential elections.