Russia`s natural gas monopoly Gazprom will require Ukrainian oil and gas company Naftogaz Ukrainy to prepay for gas imports in the future if it fails to make the next payment for gas, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with Spanish reporters, as cited by ITAR-TASS.
"I can say frankly that, if they refuse to pay, we`ll have to do something about it," he said.
Medvedev said that the next payment was expected to amount to about U.S. $400 million.
He added that prepayments were stipulated by a Russian-Ukrainian gas supply contract.
Gazprom and Naftogaz Ukrainy have been repeatedly involved in conflicts over payments for gas and other issues.
In January, Gazprom briefly stopped supplying gas to Ukrainian consumers due to a dispute over prices and Naftogaz Ukrainy`s debt for gas supplies. Gazprom also subsequently halted gas transit through Ukraine to Europe after accusing Naftogaz Ukrainy of stealing gas.
The row was resolved in late January, when gas transit was resumed.
sections: Economics |