Gazprom Extends Ultimatum for Ukraine Gas Payment

Russia's energy giant Gazprom has decided to give Ukraine an additional week for its gas payment, setting June 9 as a new deadline.

Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller announced the move after the company received USD 786 M, the first tranche of the USD 2.237 B sum Kiev is to transfer for gas supplies within the coming days, RIA Novosti reported.

Ukraine has delivered on its debt for part of the gas sold before April 1 and is yet to make payments for quantities pumped up in April and May.

If the Russian state-owned concern does not receive the whole sum until June 9, it is to introduce advanced payment for any quantities of gas demanded by Ukraine.

Russia and Ukraine are due to continue talks in Brussels over the gas pricing system in an attempt to end a dispute that emerged in April, when Gazprom abolished a special pricing regime previously available for Kiev.

According to Ukraine's UNIAN news agency, Gazprom announced Monday it would also look into options for discounts.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has pledged that Kiev will make its payments by the end of this week if new terms of the gas supplies agreement are reached during the talks.