KYIV, Jan 18 – Russia at the trilateral gas talks on gas imports and transit across Ukraine will play for time until the presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine are completed and due to the fact that there will not be new contracts Russia could halt gas transit early 2020, Naftogaz Ukrainy CEO Andriy Kobolev said.

"My opinion is that they are playing for time until the political process is complete," he said at a press conference in Kyiv on Friday.

Kobolev said that, subject to the negotiation of new contracts throughout 2019, there will be enough time to conclude them after the parliamentary elections, but the option of stopping transit is still possible.