On October 17, Ukraine proposed an alternative scheme for gas supplies to Europe, involving Azerbaijan as a gas exporter and Slovakia as a buyer. This proposal suggests a mechanism where the buyer, such as Slovakia, purchases gas either at the point where it enters Russia from Azerbaijan or at the Russia-Ukraine border. The owner of the gas would then manage its transportation through Russian territory, store it in Ukraine's underground storage facilities, and retain the option to use it or sell it abroad. In this arrangement, Ukraine would act not as a transit country, but as a re-exporter.

A critical aspect of the proposal is that each party must independently negotiate with Russia to ensure the security of the gas supply, thus protecting Ukraine's gas transportation system amid ongoing hostilities.

These discussions have not yet reached the stage of formal negotiations, and neither Azerbaijan nor Slovakia has officially responded to the proposal. In 2023, Azerbaijan exported approximately 12 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe and aims to increase that volume to 13 billion cubic meters in 2024.

In May, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated, "Azerbaijan now exports gas to eight countries. I hope Slovakia will become the ninth." However, according to RBC Ukraine, Azerbaijan's interest in supplying gas to the European Union via Ukraine has diminished, with Baku not raising the issue in the past four months. This decreased engagement may be linked to Russia’s role in the process.