BRUSSELS, Dec 19 (Reuters) -

Ukraine could consider continued transit of Russian gas on

the condition that Moscow does not receive money for the fuel

until after the war, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on

Thursday.

Ukraine has previously ruled out extending a contract to

transit Russian gas, via Ukraine, to Europe, which is due to

expire at the end of the year. Slovakia, one of the recipients

of the gas, has been racing to prolong the deal.

"We would not prolong the transit of Russian gas. We

will not give the possibility of additional billions to be

earned on our blood, on the lives of our citizens," Zelenskiy

told a news conference during a European Union summit in

Brussels.

But he added: "If the country is ready to give us the

gas, but not to pay the money back to Russia until the end of

the war, then it's a possible potentiality. We can think about

it."

The European Commission has said it is ready for the

contract to expire, and all countries receiving Russian fuel via

the Ukraine route have access to alternative supplies.

Zelenskiy lambasted Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico,

who has warned of the economic hit his country will face if it

loses cheap gas from Russia.

"To be honest, during war, it's a bit shameful to talk

about money, because we are losing people," Zelenskiy said.

Zelenskiy said he told Fico on Thursday that Ukraine

would be open to carrying another country's gas through its

infrastructure to reach Europe - but it would need assurances

that this was not merely re-labelled Russian fuel.

"We have to know that we will only transit gas if it's

not coming from Russia," Zelenskiy said.