MOSCOW, April 03, 2014 (AFP) — Russia’s gas giant Gazprom on Thursday demanded that Ukraine’s Naftogaz takes immediate steps to pay for its gas deliveries, valued at over $2.2 billion.
“Naftogaz Ukraine must take immediate measures to pay off the accrued debt,” the Russian company said in a statement after its chairman Alexei Miller met with head of Naftogaz Andrei Sobolev.
“At this time, the total debt by Naftogaz is estimated at over $2.2 billion including deliveries in March,” Gazprom said.
On Tuesday, Gazprom announced that it was raising the price of gas exports to Ukraine by more than a third, scrapping a previous discount amid mounting strains between the two countries.
Ukraine will now pay a price of $385.50 per 1,000 cubic metres of gas, Miller said in a statement, raising the price from $268.50 per 1,000 cubic metres previously.
“The discount will no longer apply,” added Miller. “This is due to the inability of the Ukrainian side to pay for debts from 2013 and realise full payments for current deliveries.”
