Sources: Turkey and Slovakia receive US waiver extensions for gas payments to Russia

Sources told reporters on Thursday that the United States has extended waivers to Turkey and Slovakia for gas payments made to Russia. The extensions will be valid until the end of May.

Washington imposed sanctions on Russia's Gazprombank in November over the Ukraine conflict. Gazprombank is one of Russia's largest banks and receives payments from Gazprom customers in Europe for natural gas.

The United States granted a waiver to Turkey, Hungary, and Slovakia in December. This removed a major obstacle for them to pay for the Russian gas they receive via the TurkStream pipeline.

The energy ministry of Turkey declined to comment. Both the Turkish treasury as well as Slovakia's Economy Ministry did not respond immediately to comments.

Hungary has not yet commented on the extension of the waiver at the time this article was written.

TurkStream, a pipeline that runs under the Black Sea, carries Russian gas to Turkey and Hungary.

SPP, Slovakia's main gas importer, said in February that Gazprom was supplying the country again using the volumes Hungary had given up on the TurkStream pipe. Can Sezer is reporting from Istanbul, and Jason Hovet from Prague. Tuvan Gumrukcu, Nina Chestney. Gareth Jones, Mark Potter and Mark Potter (Editing)

(source: Reuters)