Ukraine owes $2.2b for gas: Gazprom

Source:Reuters Published: 2014-11-1 0:58:01

Russia may restart gas supplies to Ukraine as soon as next week if Kiev pays $2.2 billion worth of debts and pre-­payments, Alexei Miller, head of state gas monopoly Gazprom, said on Friday.

Moscow, Kiev and the EU clinched a deal on Thursday that would resume supplies of Russian gas to Ukraine over the winter in return for payments funded in part by the Ukrainian government's Western backers.

Gazprom halted supplies to Ukraine in June amid a bitter dispute over debts and pricing between Moscow and the former Soviet republic that is now seeking to foster closer ties with the West rather than Russia.

Miller said Gazprom would restart supplies to Ukraine within two days after Kiev covers part of its debt for past gas deliveries and provides a pre-payment for supplies that would reach it in November.

"Everything depends on when Ukraine makes this payment. We understand this can happen by the end of next week," Miller told state TV broadcaster Rossiya 24 in an interview when asked about possible timing for resuming supplies.

Miller said Ukraine must provide $1.45 billion to cover for part of gas debt and pay $760 million up front for November before supplies resume, adding that $3.1 billion would have to be paid by 2015.



Posted in: Europe

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