Gazprom has extended a deadline for Ukraine to pay its debt after Kyiv transferred some of the money.<br /><br />The Russian gas producer had threatened to cut off supplies to Ukraine if the country failed to pay some of its bill of 3.5 billion US dollars (2.5 billion euros).<br /><br />Kyiv has paid $786 million (575 million euros) and says it has put forward a draft proposal with amendments to the existing gas supply contract between the two neighbours.<br /><br />Ukraine is seeking changes to conditions fixed five years ago, whereby it pays $485 (356 euros) per 1000 cubic metres of gas – the highest in Europe.<br /><br />The price was reduced to $268.50 (197 euros) last December as a gesture of support to former President Viktor Yanukovych, but was raised again after he was deposed.<br /><br />Naftogaz said in a statement that it paid Gazprom on May 30 $786.3 million for February-March supplies, and hence, “fully paid for the supply of natural gas to Ukraine for the first quarter of 2014 at the price of $268.5 for 1,000 cubic metres”.<br /><br />Ukraine’s partial payment was made following talks in Berlin between the Ukrainian and Russian energy ministers, mediated by the EU’s Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger.<br /><br />The fourth round of talks involving the two countries and the European Union resumes in Brussels on Monday.
