The supply of natural gas from Azerbaijan to Ukraine is clearly aimed at supporting Kiev. Konstantin Zatulin, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots of the Russian State Duma, stated this in an interview given to Lenta.ru.

According to the Russian lawmaker, such moves can be assessed in Baku as a multi-vector policy, but those vectors that are not parallel to Russian policy have been gaining strength in recent times.

"The [Azerbaijan] decision to supply [natural] gas to Ukraine is clearly aimed at supporting the latter. This is exactly how this decision should be assessed: as a continuation of the same direction that has already led to a number of revelations regarding Azerbaijan," Zatulin noted.

He said that Azerbaijan does not refuse to seek benefits in relations with Russia, but now these searches are becoming secondary. A program in which Azerbaijan shall "present itself as a country that is not an ally of Russia and that in no way limits itself in relations with its adversaries and enemies" is being brought to the fore, Zatulin added.

Earlier, the head of the Ukrainian Naftogaz company, Serhiy Koretsky, announced that Ukraine will import natural gas from Azerbaijan for the first time via the Trans-Balkan corridor.