PM says new price for Russian gas is political

"There is no reason why Russia would raise the gas price for Ukraine other than one — politics," Prime Minister of Ukraine A. Yatsenyuk told Reuters in an interview on Thursday, April 3.

He noted that the price of Russian gas at $ 485 was "absolutely unacceptable":"The Russian Federation is perfectly aware of that."

"We expect Russia to go further in terms of pressure on the gas front, including limiting gas supplies to Ukraine," he said.

"We will employ all of the political, economic, diplomatic and legal methods needed to maintain our country's energy security and sort out the issue of gas supplies", he emphasized.

PM reiterated that Russia assumed a commitment to grant a $ 15-billion loan to Ukraine, $ 3 billion of this amount had been transferred last year, and $ 2 billion was supposed to be transferred this year to help Ukraine to pay off its gas debts. “If Russia meets its commitment to provide a $ 2-billion loan, in this case we will be able to pay off $ 2 billion worth of our debt”, he added.

He stressed that gas relations with Russia can’t be considered outside the context of what is happening in the bilateral relations between Ukraine and Russia.

The PM said that starting reverse gas supplies to Ukraine from Slovakia could offer a possible solution to this situation. He informed that the government has repeatedly asked and will continue to ask its European partners "to make their decision concerning reverse shipments to Ukraine."

According to Arseniy Yatsenyuk in this case Ukraine would have pay for around $350 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas instead of today’s $500.