KYIV, Dec 10 – Ukraine may be willing to accept lower than 10-year term of natural gas transit deal with Russia following negotiations between President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine has earlier insisted on 10-year contract, while Russia has been suggesting extending the contract for one year as the existing 10-year deal is set to expire after December 31.

Zelenskiy and Putin met face-to-face for the first time on Monday as part of Normandy Four meeting aimed at discussing ending the war in Donbas. Both presidents also discussed gas transit deal as Gazprom and Naftogaz had been deadlocked on the issue for months.

"It’s very difficult when one side insists on one year, and we insist on 10 years. I think we will find something in the middle," Zelenskiy said at a press conference after the meeting.

"I don't want to disclose all the details, but the contract for one year is not really mentioned. Everyone took it off the discussion. That is, for so many years," he said.

Ukraine earns about $3 billion annually from moving Russian gas to markets in Europe, but Russia has been seeking to build a new gas pipelines, Nord Stream 2, that would potentially eliminate the need to use Ukrainian pipelines system.

Nord Stream 2, which goes from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea, is currently under construction, but Gazprom-Naftogaz gas transit contract is due to end within three weeks.

Zelenskiy said that following the talks with Putin there is growing chances that the deal will be agreed and signed at upcoming talks between Gazprom and Naftogaz.

"It’s more likely. I'm sure we have better chances to sign it with better conditions than before," Zelenskiy said. (tl/ez)