Fico wants Russian gas to flow through Ukraine after 2024, but Ukraine dashed these hopes.

Slovakia is discussing with Ukraine the continuation of Russian gas transit after the end of the current contract, which expires at the end of 2024, the country’s Prime Minister Robert Fico said.

“An agreement has been reached that the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine will probably continue, and this is great news,” a Slovakian politician said.

In return, the Ukrainian government stated: “The position of the Ukrainian side is clear: the transportation contract ends at the end of this year, we will not negotiate with the Russians to extend the contract, as the Prime Minister of Ukraine informed his Slovak colleague.”

However, as Bloomberg writes, even without a new deal, there is the possibility that Gazprom will maintain supply to willing EU buyers by booking short-term capacity in Ukraine, an option the Russian company can use via capacity auctions.