RIA Novosti: Ukraine Resumes Gas Purchases From Russia – Gazprom

MOSCOW, November 15 (RIA Novosti) ­ Ukrainian national fuel company Naftogaz has resumed natural gas supplies from Russia, the chief executive of Russian energy giant Gazprom said Friday.

“Naftogaz has stopped pumping gas out of its underground storage facilities and resumed purchases of Russian gas in accordance with the current contract,” Alexei Miller told reporters.

Ukraine had halted Russian gas imports earlier this month citing high prices, just as Gazprom said Ukraine failed to pay an outstanding gas bill of $1.3 billion.

The move had aroused concerns in Western Europe of another standoff over gas deliveries that could have threatened to cut off the contintent from vital heating fuel supplies as the winter sets in.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov told his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, in a telephone conversation Friday that his country would do its best to ensure uninterrupted gas transit to Europe this winter.

“Azarov and Medvedev confirmed that each side would stick to its obligations to ensure uninterrupted deliveries of the due amounts of gas to consumers in Europe,” the Ukrainian government press service said.

Political analysts have linked disputes between the two countries over gas and other issues to Russia’s ongoing efforts to dissuade Ukraine from signing a trade deal with the European Union.