Ukraine gas payments to Russia start
Posted: Saturday, May 31, 2014 12:14 pm
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BERLIN — Ukraine said Friday that it ordered a $786 million payment to Russia in a first step toward paying off its gas debts, and another round of talks aimed at resolving the two countries’ dispute over gas prices and preventing a possible supply cutoff was set for Monday.
Russia has stepped up pressure on Ukraine over gas lately, calling for Kyiv to pay its debts and saying it wants payment up front for deliveries starting in June. It has threatened to restrict supplies starting Tuesday if no payment is made.
Moscow has put Kyiv’s gas debts dating back to November at $3.5 billion, and the CEO of Russian gas company Gazprom said this week that gas delivered in May could bring them to $5.2 billion. Ukraine, which saw gas price discounts granted by Russia canceled following the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, has sought an agreement on prices before paying up.
Ukraine’s gas company, Naftogaz, announced at a European Union-mediated meeting in Berlin on Friday with Gazprom and the Russian and Ukrainian energy ministers that it has transferred $786 million to Gazprom, EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said. That covers deliveries in February and March, a period for which the price charged to Ukraine is undisputed, Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuri Prodan said.
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Saturday, May 31, 2014 12:14 pm.