MOSCOW, May 28. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia has not received any payment from Ukraine for natural gas supplies, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday.

“We have not received anything so far, not a single kopeck (a monetary unit of Russia), hryvnia or US dollar. We are waiting for payment,” the energy minister said, adding that Ukraine had “time until the end of Thursday” to pay for natural gas supplies.

Ukraine’s debt for Russian natural gas deliveries currently stands at $3.5 billion. Ukraine and the European Commission recognize the debt of $2.237 billion accumulated by April 1 when Moscow canceled gas price discounts for its western neighbor and increased the gas price from $268.5 to $485.5 per 1,000 cubic meters.

Kiev has stated it is ready to repay its gas debts but insists on a cut in the price of natural gas supplied by Russia.