Zelensky refuses to export gas or coal ahead of heating season

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
8 Jun 12:22
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The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirms that Kiev will only import gas and coal and export none to prepare for the coming winter.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky

The Ukrainian President has received a seemingly endless wave of financial and moral support from Europe since the start of the war.

Read more: EU deciding on 7th sanctions package against Russia

How has he decided to repay them? By only importing gas and coal into his country and exporting none to neighboring countries. Not only that, but Ukraine also halts Russian gas exports to Europe at the eastern transit point, despite the high dependence of these countries on the gas.

Zelensky stated in a video message on Tuesday night that the Ukrainian government had deliberations and decided to create a task force in charge of preparing for the next heating season.

He was quoted by the Ukrainian news website Strana.ua as saying, "We will not be selling gas and coal abroad."

Yuriy Vitrenko, CEO of Ukraine's national energy business Naftogaz, stated on Tuesday that the European Union may reduce its reliance on Russian energy by buying from Ukraine, notably by substituting up to 10 billion cubic meters of Russian gas with Ukrainian electricity.

The EU unveiled its sixth package of sanctions on Moscow on June 3, including a slow phase-out of Russian oil. The new package will only affect oil supplies by sea; oil delivered via pipelines will be unaffected. The seventh package, according to Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski, is already in the works, and the EU hopes to target Russian gas.