Moscow called Kiev's stupid proposals to keep the transit rate for delivering blue fuel through Ukraine in 2020-2028 at about the current level if Gazprom agrees to pumping 110 billion cubic meters of gas per year and to increase tariffs in 2018-2019 by a third - totaling $ 2.3 billion.

Earlier on Friday, Kommersant, referring to its source, said that such an initiative was made by the commercial director of the Ukrainian Naftogaz Yuri Vitrenko, who sent "a May holiday" his rasprochement to the deputy chairman of the board of Gazprom, Alexander Medvedev.

In the Russian concern, this approach of Kiev was called blackmail. However, as well as a number of experts, including from the Ukrainian side. "This is outright stupidity. You have to be completely insane to offer this in the existing context. Nobody will ever pump through the territory of Ukraine 110 billion cubic meters of gas. This ended in 2011 with the launch of the first thread of the "Nord Stream". They have no levers of influence, no opportunity and support for anyone in the world to push such a thing, "said RT deputy director of the Institute of National Energy Alexander Frolov. He pointed to the fact that for Gazprom, the route through Nezalezhny is in every respect the most expensive, "since this is the longest corridor for gas supply" to buyers from Europe. "Pumping on the northern route is just closer and more efficient," so the proposal from Kiev in any case is unprofitable for our gas monopolist, Frolov. And there is not enough resources for Gazprom to pump this amount of fuel, taking into account the already operating "Nord Stream". This conclusion was made by the Director General of the Russian Institute of National Energy Sergei Pravosudov in a commentary by RIA Novosti,. "Obviously, Gazprom does not have such an opportunity. Gazprom does not have enough resources to supply 110 billion cubic meters of gas per year through Ukraine and to provide supplies via the Nord Stream 2, he said.. Shame and embarrassment for blackmail Naftogaz felt Ukrainian political scientist and economist Alexander Dudchak, even without having a relationship to the company and its leadership. "For some reason, these people still feel uncomfortable. How can this be so inadequate in the modern world? I do not think that this is a serious reason for the media, let them sit down with Gazprom and discuss, so that once again they are not disgraced.

They will now say a lot of superfluous things, and a normal person for these words would be ashamed, but since this feeling is completely absent, it is probably shameful for everyone around them who is not even involved in this process, "the political scientist said on air.. The Ukrainian is sure that blackmail will not work, because all have long been accustomed to such behavior of Nezalezhnaya. Dudchak strongly recommends representatives of Naftogaz not to issue ultimatums to Gazprom, but with a sober head to negotiate with the Russian concern.