KIEV, June 10. /ITAR-TASS/. A fair price of Russian natural gas for Ukraine should be $268 per 1,000 cubic meters, Ukrainian Deputy Energy and Coal Industry Minister Vadim Ulida told Radio Svoboda on Tuesday, June 10, commenting on the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian gas talks mediated by the European Union.

Another round of three-party gas talks between Russia, Ukraine and the European Union ended, producing no solution to the Russia-Ukraine gas conflict.

“$268 US dollars per 1,000 cubic meters is the price at which Ukraine used to buy the gas. There is no way to explain how the price of gas can change twofold. There are long-term agreements and there is a long-term partnership, and the price of gas cannot depend on certain political will or other reasons. Negotiations are underway and I want to say that Ukraine is not demanding some exclusive terms for itself. We just want to see a real and economically justified price,” Ulida said.

Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yuri Prodan said earlier that at the talks with Russia the Ukrainian delegation was also insisting on the termination of the ban on re-export of Russian gas. “The lifting of the ban on re-export is one of the demands [of the Ukrainian delegation],” he said.

Why did the gas price change?

In early April Russia’s gas producer Gazprom raised the price of gas for Ukraine from $268.5 per 1,000 cubic meters by $200. The company also cancelled the 100% discount for Naftogaz of Ukraine which had failed to make timely payments for gas supplies. Another $100 rise in price was a result of the termination of a customs duty discount under the Kharkiv Agreement — the Russian Ukrainian Naval Base for Gas treaty between Ukraine and Russia whereby the Russian lease on naval facilities in Crimea would be extended beyond 2017 by 25 years (until 2042) with an additional 5 year renewal option (until 2047) in exchange for a multiyear discounted contract to provide Ukraine with Russian natural gas.