Ukraine prepared to settle gas debt within 10 days, if Gazprom agrees to return the price to $268 – Ukrainian Prime Minister

(Interfax – May 8, 2014) Ukraine is prepared to complexly settle its debt for Russian gas within 10 days after Russian gas giant Gazprom agrees to return the price to $268 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas and sign the corresponding supplementary agreement, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk said.

“As soon as such a price is set and an additional agreement signed, Ukraine is prepared to settle all debts within ten days. […] But for this, it is necessary for Gazprom to understand that it is unacceptable to apply a political price and use gas as a political weapon,” he said at a briefing in Kharkov’s airport on Wednesday.

Yatsenyuk added that Ukraine had begun the pre-arbitration process to settle the gas issue.

“Russia’s Gazprom has received a complaint from the Ukrainian company [Ukraine’s national oil and gas company Naftogaz Ukrainy] that has a clear list of the demands that we believe are legal, and Russia’s Gazprom must meet us halfway. Additionally, we have also proposed – and on multiple occasions – that our Russian partners prolong the contract at the price of $268 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas, like it was in the first quarter of last year. […] If we reach an agreement at the end of 30 days [from the day the complaint was received], that means we will not go to court. If this agreement is not reached, then 24 days remain and we will meet with Gazprom at the arbitration court in Stockholm,” he said.