EC, Russia, Ukraine give differing interpretations of gas talks
Russia and the European Commission, on the one hand, and Ukraine on the other gave differing accounts of the trilateral gas talks held in Berlin on Friday.
If EC and Russian Energy Ministry representatives talked about a proposal for Kyiv to repay $3.1 billion by the end of the year, Ukrainian Fuel and Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan said Russia owed Kyiv $6 billion anyway in what Kyiv had overpaid for gas. He said the $3.1 billion was considered not to be payment for gas supplied in 2013 and early 2014, but as prepayment for supplies in the winter to come.
“We’re ready to use this amount for settlement purposes and payment for gas. We, by way of compromise, suggested and are ready to make a prepayment – if we’re talking about 5 bcm then this will be $1.9 billion,” Prodan said.