Ukraine gas deadline approaches

摘要

Ukraine and Russia failed May 26 to make "real progress" in talks over natural gas debts and prices, leaving little time to reach a compromise ahead of a May 30 deadline, according to Ukrainian state gas company Naftogaz Ukrayiny. Officials from Ukraine, Russia and the EU met in Berlin May 26 to try and solve the problem, which could see gas supplies to the country from Russia cut off June 3. The European Commission said in a statement that Naftogaz and Russian state gas company Gazprom were considering an EU proposal under which Naftogaz would pay Gazprom $2 billion by May 30 in exchange for talks on a new gas price and no prepayment in June. The proposed deal, which was subject to confirmation by both the Russian and Ukrainian authorities as Energy Economist went to press, also involves Naftogaz paying another $500 million to Gazprom by June 7.