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Ukraine’s Naftogaz not to buy Russian gas until end of winter, CEO says

Ukraine suspended gas purchases from Russia in November 2015

KIEV, December 15. /TASS/. Ukraine’s national gas company Naftogaz will not buy natural gas from Russia’s Gazprom this year unless the terms of supplies are changed, CEO Andrey Kobolev said Thursday.

"We won’t buy Russian gas until the end of the year. And unless Russian colleagues decide to accept the standard terms of the contract we won’t (buy Russian gas) until the end of the winter," he said, adding that the company is expecting "the results of the Stockholm Arbitration Court."

The trilateral gas meeting between representatives of Russia, the European Union (EU) and Ukraine in Brussels in December 9 focusing on Russian gas supplies to Ukraine and gas transit to the EU this winter, resulted in almost no agreements. Nevertheless, Russia’s Energy Minister Alexander Novak said that Kiev takes interest in purchases of 1.5-4 bln cubic meters of Russian gas under the price stipulated by the current contract. According to Novak, this price is substantially lower than those offered by European traders.

Ukraine suspended gas purchases from Russia in November 2015.