GORKI, May 14. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia is ready to resume the talks with Ukraine on the terms of gas supplies and the price of gas after Kiev has paid a part of its debt for the previous supplies, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday, May 14.
“No one has ever said: give us $4 billion right away. But show us that you are ready to do so. If they pay a part [of the debt], this will at least create the basis for the talks,” he said.
“We are ready to discuss how to deal with this problem and we are ready to discuss how to support the life of people in Ukraine,” Medvedev said.
“In this respect, we are even ready to give up some of our interests when discussing how we should cooperate on gas further,” he said, adding that this would basically mean financial aid to Ukraine.
Medvedev also expressed hope that “our European friends will make [Ukraine] transfer at least a part of the money it has received to Gazprom”.
{article_photo:731313:'PM instructs Gazprom to supply gas to Ukraine on prepaid basis from May 13':'left':'50'}Natural gas supplies on prepaid mode only
Medvedev instructed Gazprom to start supplying gas to Ukraine on a prepaid basis from May 13.
“Gazprom has a right to do what has been repeatedly discussed, namely to switch over to advance payments for Ukrainian consumers and Ukraine under the contract,” Medvedev said on Monday, May 12. “I think it’s high time we stopped dandling about. Notify them and move on to advance payments starting tomorrow,” he said at a meeting with Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller and Energy Minister Alexander Novak.
“I think Gazprom has taken all possible steps to settle the situation: we talked with them, we consulted several times, you reported to me and to the president, but we were not heard,” the prime minister said. “If this is so, we must start acting because this can’t be tolerated anymore.”
Medvedev said advance payments for Russian gas would not mean an end to supplies. “The transition to advance payments means only one thing: we will supply as much as they pay for. If they pay one euro, we will supply one euro’s worth [of gas]; if they pay a billion, we will supply a billion’s worth [of gas],” he said.
IMF loan for gas debt
“Our Ukrainian partners have money,” Medvedev said, referring to the first portion of a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).