MOSCOW, Dec 26 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said

on Thursday there was no time left this year to sign a new

Ukrainian gas transit deal, and laid the blame firmly on Ukraine

for refusing to extend the agreement that brings gas to

Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Austria.

"They announced that they would not renew the contract,"

Putin said, adding that Kyiv was punishing Europe by the move.

The current five-year gas transit deal between Russia

and Ukraine expires in the end of the year.

"There is no contract and it is impossible to conclude

it in 3-4 days," Putin said in a televised briefing.

Russian gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine are

relatively small. Russia shipped about 15 billion cubic metres

(bcm) of gas via Ukraine in 2023 - only 8% of peak Russian gas

flows to Europe via various routes in 2018-19.

The Soviet-era Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod pipeline brings

gas from Siberia via the town of Sudzha - which is now under

control of Ukrainian military forces - in Russia's Kursk region.

It then flows through Ukraine to Slovakia.

In Slovakia, the gas pipeline splits into branches going to

the Czech Republic and Austria.

Russia is ready to supply gas via Ukraine to any customer

but he said a lawsuit was making that impossible, Putin said.

Putin also reiterated Russia was ready to supply gas to

Europe via Poland through the Yamal - Europe pipeline.