"Our Russian neighbor
has used
against Ukraine
another kind of aggression - gas aggression," the Prime Minister of
Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk said
at the Government session on April 5.
The Prime Minister
said that the Russian government "with the part of the Russian government,
which is Gazprom, has announced an unprecedented
increase in gas prices for Ukraine, which now reaches almost $ 500."
He said that this
price is the highest in Europe: "It is
not an economic, but political price."
"Russia has failed to capture Ukraine through military aggression, and the
plan of pressure and capture of Ukraine
over gas and economic aggression is being implemented," the Prime Minister
said.
A. Yatsenyuk
recalled that Director of "Naftogaz of Ukraine"
held talks with Gazprom in Moscow:
"We stated our position clearly and officially yesterday - Ukraine
is ready to continue to buy natural gas at a price that existed from the
beginning of this year - $ 268. It is acceptable and balanced price."
The Prime Minister
stressed that there are no economic reasons for price increases for natural gas:
"basic energy products, oil, dropped in price by $ 99 level. Therefore,
the political pressure is unacceptable and a price of $ 500 is not acceptable."
"We are ready to
carry out all the calculations for pre-supplied gas and expect an official
response from the Russian company "Gazprom",
he said.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk said that the Government is aware that as the
next step Russia may limit
the supply of natural gas to Ukraine.
The Prime Minister appealed to the Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of
Ukraine Yuriy Prodan:
"We have to prepare two versions of events, including the one where Russia closes and restricts the supply of
natural gas to Ukraine."
"We have
significantly revised the subsidies and compensation model that worked in Ukraine
up to date," Arseniy Yatsenyuk
said. Consequently, the number of households that receive subsidies will grow
from 1 million to 4.5 million households.
Overall, 30% of Ukraine's
population will be covered by an unprecedented program of compensation. There
are billion costs from the state budget. But we have found money so that 30% of
Ukrainians would not feel the increase in gas prices and utilities.
