OPPOSITION PLATFORM – FOR LIFE party believes that Ukrainian government must enter into contracts with Russia’s Gazprom on gas supplies and gas transit, MP Serhiy Lovochkin said on air of Rossiya-1 TV channel.

“Chances are the gas transit contract will not be extended, and this makes absolutely no sense in economic terms. Ukraine has long been transiting gas: over the past six years, starting from 2014, it has transited 478bln cubic meters, having earned over $14bln. We cannot afford abandoning this source of income, which is approximately $2.5bln annually. With economy size at $154bln (which is a GDP estimate for 2019), the potential loss will reach about 2 percent,” Lovochkin said.

Direct gas sales from Russia to Ukraine must also be restored, the politician says.

“Between 2014 and late 2019, Ukraine has imported about 85bln cubic meters of gas. If we analyze Russian Gazprom’s offer to import gas to Ukraine at 25 percent lower price than that from Europe, we’ll get savings of 21bln cubic meters that might be expressed in money terms as well,” he said.

According to the MP, OPPOSITION PLATFORM – FOR LIFE has always supported the restoration of economic cooperation between Ukraine and Russia, especially in the energy sector.

“I believe that Ukrainian government must abandon its political ambitions and do its best to secure a contract for purchasing of Russian gas, which is by 25 percent more competitive than Ukraine’s Naftohaz can get from Europe from the so-called reversal. Over the past six years the annual average import volume was about 14bln cubic meters, so the 21bln are a year and a half in savings. This money might as well be saved by citizens and spent by business on its development and taxes,” Lovochkin said.